Underestimated
by WendyHamlet
Summary: How long ago was it when my hair wasn't grey and my bones didn't ache when my eyes sparkled with life and I had energy to spare? As I look at the bent old woman in the mirror I know it's longer than I remember. I always had a smile ready then but that was before the games. Mags story from her POV What was life like when she was a young girl with the new threat of the hunger games?
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone!**

**Here is the first chapter to "Underestimated" I hope all who read this will enjoy it and thanks to all my fans who came here from my other stories, the support I get from you guys is truly amazing.**

**So hopefully this story will be succesful, I am very excited to write it because we know pretty much nothing about Mags, so I have lots of creative liberty ;)**

**I don't really have a set plot, or way this story is going to go so we're all along for the ride. Let's see how it turns out shall we?**

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**Chapter One: Pirates.**

I float weightless in the warm tranquil waters. I can feel my blonde hair slowly moving back and forth as I sink lower towards the bottom. When I feel my feet touch the coral of the reef, I open my green eyes and look around.

There is so much to look at down here, but I'm only looking for one thing in particular and I soon spot it. I effortlessly swim over to the cluster of oysters and quickly start prying them off the coral with my fishing knife.

I manage to free six of them before I have to return to the surface for air. I gather the oysters in my small bag made of a close-knit net, and securing the bag around my waist, push-off the reef for the surface. I timed the swim perfectly and my head breaks the surface just as I take a deep breath, inhaling the fresh salty air.

"Did you find any?"

I hear one of my brothers call from the small fishing boat a couple of yards away. I tread water and pull my wet hair out of my face.

"Yeah I got some! Hang on I'll be right there."

I say as I dive back under the surface and shoot through the water with effortless speed. My father always says I swim better than the dolphins that hang out around district four.

I reach the boat in under a minute, and surface again, pulling myself over the side with the rope my brother slipped into the water. I stand on the deck and shake my wet hair out of my face. My two little brothers are at my side in an instant, begging to see the oysters I have.

"Will! Leroy! Shoo! I will show you once I catch my breath."

I hear someone chuckle behind my back.

"Listen to you giving them orders like that. You sure are bossy for a sixteen year-old."

I turn around and smile as I see the tall dark-haired boy standing behind me. I run forward and throw my arms around his neck laughing.

"Felix! What are you doing here?"

Felix gives me a quick kiss, to which my brothers exclaim their disgust, and then motions back towards shore.

"Your father sent me, he says to tell you there's a storm coming and he wants you and the boys off the water before it hits."

I glance up at the almost cloud free blue sky, and brightly shining sun.

"A storm? In this weather?"

Felix looks at me with those gorgeous brown eyes of his and flashes me his slightly crooked smile.

"Don't ask me how he does it, but Vern is never wrong when it comes to predicting the weather."

I shrug and turn back to my younger brothers. Leroy is fourteen, my junior by two years, where as Will holds the title of baby of the family only being twelve. They both look nothing like me, Leroy has my fathers brown eyes and dirty blonde hair, and Will has dark brown hair and blue eyes. None of us are really sure where he got his coloring from. My father says I am the spitting image of my mother, with me slight frame, golden blonde hair and large green eyes.

"Leroy, get the boat heading towards the dock. Will, why don't you help him?"

They both run off to start up the boat, leaving Felix and I standing near the starboard rail. Felix turns to look at the ocean, leaning his elbows against the rail as his dark brown eyes scan the horizon. I lean on the rail next to him, my naturally golden skin looking pale in comparison to his heavily tanned skin. Even without a tan his skin is dark, people say he might have some indian ancestors, and that's where he gets his coloring.

"What are you thinking about?"

I ask casually, knowing what is most likely on his mind.

"Tomorrow."

I guessed right.

"You mean the reaping?"

He nods silently, and I don't push the matter further, knowing it's a sore subject for him. The six hunger games claimed his older sister, now with the reaping for the eleventh hunger games tomorrow, he's been a little tense. I don't remember much about the rebellion, I was very little when it ended. I do remember vividly the announcement for the start of the hunger games, where a male and female from the ages of twelve to eighteen would be chosen by 'reaping' to face each other in a televised fight to the death, with only one tribute surviving and being crowned victor. They get to return home and move into a large house with more money than they could ever spend, but there are twenty-three other tributes who aren't so lucky.

"You don't have anything to worry about."  
I say quietly.

"You turn nineteen tomorrow, you won't be eligible for reaping."

The muscles in his cheeks flex as he clenches his jaw, and when he answers his voice is low.

"It's not me I'm worried about."

He turns to look at me, and brushes a strand of hair off my cheek.

"I can't lose you."  
He whispers quietly, slowly brushing his hand down my cheek. I slide my hand in his, and give him a reassuring squeeze.

"You're not going to. I'm going to be seventeen tomorrow, then there's just another year before I'm safe."

He sighs and kisses my hand.

"I know. But your name is in there thirty times...that's a lot of chances."

I brush his black waves out of his face and smile.  
"There are hundreds of names in the bowl, I'd say my odds are pretty good."

He gives me a small smile.

"Yeah...I guess you're right. I just can't help worrying about you."

I sigh and turn to look at my two little brothers guiding the fishing boat towards the docks. This is the first year Will is going to be eligible for reaping, and although my father and I told him and Leroy not to, they both have taken tesserae every year, increasing their chances of getting reaped.

"Well it's a good thing you worry about me, because I don't have time to worry about myself what with worrying about those two little scamps."

Felix turns and leans back on the rail, watching the two younger boys laugh and shout out commands as if they were captains of pirate ships.

"I worry about them too, and I know your fathers grey hair has something to do with worrying as well."

I smile slightly.  
"Well even without the reaping they're enough to give him grey hair."

Felix chuckles and wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me into a hug.

"You're not wrong there."

We remain wrapped in each others arms for a while, taking comfort in being together. Felix doesn't have any family now that his sister is gone, she was like his mother and since she died he's been on his own. My father got him a job on the large fishing boat that he works on, and Felix has been taking care of himself for the past five years.

I think of my own family; my father and two little brothers. My mother died after having Will, there were complications to the delivery and she barely lived long enough to see him. I've been like a mother to Leroy and Will, and my father always says I'm just like her. I'm glad I have Felix, sometimes life gets hard and I need someone I can run to who will wrap their arms around me, give me a kiss, and tell me everything will be alright.

I stretch up on tip toe and give Felix a kiss.

"What was that for?"

He says with a smile. I rest my head against his chest and sigh.

"For loving me."

He chuckles and kisses the top of my head.

"I'm afraid I couldn't help that Mags."

I smile at his nickname for me. When we first met he had dubbed me Mags, and has called me that ever since. I don't mind, Magarida is some what of a mouthful. Although my younger brothers and friends now call me Mags, my father refuses to call me anything but my full name.

"Mags!"

I hear Leroy shout in his best pirate bellow. I detach myself from Felix and stand in front of him, looking towards the helm.

"Yes helmsman Leroy?"

He smiles and shouts back.

"We will arrive at the docks in precisely three minutes!"

I nod and give him a salute.  
"Steady as she goes Mr. Leroy, we shall dine at lord Vern's house tonight!"

Will bursts out laughing with the title I've given our father, and he and Leroy shout back in unison.

"Aye, aye captain!"

Felix chuckles and wraps his arms around my waist, leaning down and resting his head on my shoulder.

"Aren't you a little old to be playing pirates with your brothers Mags?"

I turn and give him a glare.

"Never. And that's captain Mags to you."

He smiles and gives me a quick kiss.

"I'm going to help Leroy dock the boat, he hasn't got the hang of it quite yet."

I agree quickly.

"Yes please do, if we get another scratch on this old thing my father will kill us."

He quickly walks to the helm and helps Leroy steer the ship into the docks. Having nothing to do, Will skips over to me, his dark brown curls falling around his ears and slightly over his face. His bright blue eyes peek out from several locks and he gives me a smile.  
"Mags, could you show me what you got down on the reef?"

He's using his baby voice, and I fix him with a glare.

"Young cabin boy, I told you that I would show you the treasure when we reached lord Vern's manor."

Will giggles and salutes.

"Aye, aye captain. Any chance you snagged a surprise for me?"

I can't help smiling as I wave him away.

"Be off with you! I'll show you what I've got in due time."

He scurries off to watch Felix and Leroy, leaving me alone by the rail. I look out towards the horizon, and smile as I see the dark clouds quickly building over the sea and blowing towards district four. My father can always tell when the storms are coming, and by the looks of this one it's a good thing he sent Felix to get us.

Within the next minute we are standing on the dock finishing tying up the boat, once we're done Leroy and Will run ahead.

"Stay in sight!"

I call after them, as Felix and I follow. Our hands our linked together, and we walk at a reasonable pace towards the poorer part of town where our small house sits calmly at the base of a large dune. It had been my mother and father's first and only house, they had always had enough to eat, but weren't wealthy enough to afford certain luxury's in life. Now with three growing children to take care of, my father works long shifts as ships doctor on the large fishing barges.

I do what I can to help out, cleaning the houses for the richer families in the district, mending and making nets to sell. We get by well enough, and once in a while we can afford a couple of sweets from the shop in town.

"What are you thinking about?"

Felix mimics my question from earlier. I smile and shrug.

"Nothing much, just things."

He smiles and swings our linked hands.

"What kinds of things?"

I laugh and shake my head.

"Just things, the way our life is, the way it was."

He nods.

"The way it will be in a few years?"

I look up at him.

"What do you mean?"

He's silent for a moment.

"Mags...in a few years...would you maybe...well I don't know..."

He stammers and trails off. I smile and prompt him.

"Yes?"

He takes a deep breath.

"Mags, I want to have a future with you, a home, a family...I want us to be together."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"You mean get married?"

He nods.

"When we're old enough and I'm able to support you, but I need to know if that's what you want too."

I smile and give him a kiss.

"Of course that's what I want! I can't believe you even had to ask."

He blushes slightly.

"Well you're supposed to ask. I just needed to know."

I squeeze his hand.

"Well now you do. Don't be afraid to ask when the time comes."

He grins.

"I won't."

"Oh captain Mags!"

Bellows Will, his dark curls blowing in the rising wind. I smile and bellow back.

"Yes deck-hand Will?!"

He points forward.

"Lord Vern's manor is in sight!"

I look ahead and see the humble home; made out of worn wood, the front steps covered in a light dusting of sand blown there by the wind.

"By all means, fire away!"

I shout, and the two younger boys break into whoops and run to the house. Felix looks up as a few raindrops fall, and then turns to me.

"We'd better run if we don't want to get wet."

He breaks into a run and pulls me with him as the rain really starts to fall. We both laugh as we make it to the safety of the porch as a loud thunder-clap breaks overhead. Felix holds the door open for me and once inside he shuts it against the wind quickly.

Leroy and Will are running upstairs to get changed out of their wet clothes. I look down at my bikini top and shorts, still completely soaked and sandy. My hair is covered in sand as well and I smell like fish from being on the old boat.

"Hey Felix, do you mind if I get a quick shower? I smell like fish."

He laughs and shakes his head.

"Go right ahead, I need to tell your father you got back safe anyway."

He kisses my forehead and opens the door. I think of something and stop him.

"Oh wait! When you find him, tell him that I invited you over for dinner."

He smiles and nods.

"Alright, I'll see you soon."

I nod and wave. He turns and runs out into the pouring rain, ducking his head to avoid some of the onslaught. I quickly shut the door and run upstairs to my room. I walk over to the small dresser and pull out a pair of cut off jean shorts and a light blue shirt, then I run into the hall bathroom I share with my brothers and claim the shower. they protest briefly, but I shout through the door that they can use the one downstairs.

Taking a quick shower, I walk downstairs and start making dinner. As good smells start wafting through the house, Will comes in with his eyes closed and his nose twitching as he sniffs.

"Mmmm, what's for dinner?"

He says dreamily. I laugh and poke his stomach as I pass him.

"Well, I went shopping earlier and bought some meat from the butcher, and I am making pasta."

Will's eyes grow wide.

"Pasta?"

I nod.

"You had it once when you were little, remember? It was on daddy's birthday."

He thinks for a minute then says.  
"Oh yeah, I remember. It had noogles in it."

I laugh and correct him.

"Noodles. Come on you can help me finish the sauce."

In a hour or so Will and I have finished dinner and Leroy is setting the table. I hear the front door open and run to the living room.

"Daddy!"

I say with a slight squeal, throwing my arms around him and kissing his cheek. My father lets out a low rumbling chuckle that sounds deep in his chest and detaches me from his neck.

"It's nice to see you too Magarida. Do you mind if I change so I won't drip anymore?"

I laugh and look down at the puddle his rain-soaked clothes are creating on the wood floor.

"No of course not, here let me take your coat."

I pull off his heavy seal skin coat and hang it to dry. He disappears in his room down the hall and I turn to Felix who has a rather hurt expression on his face. He sticks out his lower lip and says.

"I didn't get a hug."

I laugh and wrap my arms around his neck.

"That's because I was saving this for you."

I lean forward and give him a kiss. Ignoring his wet clothes and dripping hair. He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses me back.

"Oh gross!"

I hear Leroy's disgusted cry from behind us, and Felix pulls away slightly, giving Leroy a look.

"Do you mind?"

I hear Leroy scoff and walk towards the kitchen as he says.

"Do _you_ mind? Geesh, you don't have to do that every time you're together you know."

I hear the kitchen door close and Felix turns back to me.

"Now, where were we?"

He's about to kiss me again when we both hear someone clear the throat loudly. I smile at Felix's blushing cheeks and turn around to see my father looking at us with a serious face, although I can see the amused twinkle in his green eyes. His deeply tanned face is lined and worn with long years in the sun, and the crows feet around his eyes tells anyone that he smiles and laughs a lot. His tall figure and long limbs are strong and hard, while his fingers are gentle and steady, giving the fact away that he is a doctor.

He raises an eyebrow at both of us and says in his deep voice.

"Yes, where were you?"

Felix hurriedly releases me, and says quickly.

"Nowhere Vern...sir."

My father breaks out into a deep rumbling laugh and walks forward, slapping Felix on the back.

"Felix you've known me long enough to be able to tell when I'm messing with you."

Felix grins sheepishly, and shrugs.

"I can never tell when it comes to Mags, she is your only girl."

My father looks at me fondly and taps the end of my nose with his finger.

"That she is. Magarida, what is that delicious smell?"

I smile.

"You should know, it's pasta, and it's getting cold too."

His eyes light up at the mention of food, and he walks towards the kitchen, calling over his shoulder.

"I hope you made plenty because I'm hungrier than a tiger shark!"

The minute he enters the kitchen Leroy and Will exclaim delight loudly and by the sounds of it they tackled him. Felix pulls me to him and gives me a quick kiss.

"I saw that!"

We hear my dad shout from the now open door, and we both grin.

"Come on lovebirds, us pirates need our grub!"

Leroy and Will shout their agreement, and I hurry to the dining room closely followed by Felix.

Dinner was delicious, and we all had seconds. I'm glad we can have a meal like this once in a while, because a lot of the time we don't have the money to buy the rarer ingredients, and so most of our diet consists of some kind of seafood. After dinner Felix explains that he has some things he needs to finish before tomorrow, and my father nods, knowing that since tomorrow is reaping day, all work is called off.

I walk Felix to the door, and step out on the porch with him. The storm has died down to a light drizzle, and the hot afternoon has turned into a cool evening.

"So I'll see you tomorrow?"

I say hopefully, knowing that he has no reason to go to the reaping tomorrow except to watch.

"Yeah...I have to go."

I nod slowly.

"Because of me?"

He nods.

"Are you going to see your sister tonight?"

I ask slowly. He visits his sisters grave the night before every reaping.

"Yes...she would have been twenty-three now."

I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head against his chest. I don't need to say anything, he knows what I mean. He rests his cheek against the top of my head.

"I can't have that ever be you."

I nod slowly.

"I won't be able to take it if..."

I nod again, knowing it would tear him apart if I died.

"I'll be safe."

I whisper. He kisses the top of my head and holds me tighter.

"You'd better be. I'll see you in the morning."

He pulls away and gives me a kiss.

"I'll see you then."

I say, giving him a smile.

"Goodnight."

He calls over his shoulder as he walks down the street. I wave as I reply.

"Goodnight."

After he walks out of view, I walk back inside.

"Why don't you kids get some rest? I'll clean up."

My father says with a smile. I shake my head.

"No, you've been working all day. I can clean up."

He chuckles and starts gathering the dishes.

"If you classify sitting around dosing sea-sickness pills as working, then yes I was working all day. I am perfectly capable of cleaning a few dishes. You kids need your rest."

I relent, as Leroy and Will say goodnight and dash upstairs. My father chuckles and shakes his head.

"So full of energy those two. You get to bed now Magarida, you need your sleep."

I glance towards the stairs.

"I'm not going to get any sleep tonight anyway."

My father nods, worry in his eyes.

"Yeah me either, you should try though anyway."

I nod, giving him a kiss goodnight and retreating upstairs to my bedroom.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, holding tightly onto the picture of my mother I keep on my nightstand.

"At least Felix will be safe."

I murmur quietly, closing my eyes and finally dropping off to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

**Sorry for not updating for a few days, I've been struggling with a important part of the plot, and I couldn't decide to option number one, or option number two :P (it's quite infuriating) Anyway, I have finally decided on what to do, and I hope to be updating more regularly, hopefully once a day.**

**I hope all you guys who have read this have been interested in reading further, so here's another chapter! :)**

**Please drop me a review, I adore them and I LOVE to know what you guys think, (good or bad) about the story. Tell me whatever you like, it could be plot idea's/twists, something you did or didn't like about the chapter, how you felt while reading it...pretty much anything!**

**So I'll shut up and let you get to reading the chapter...**

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**Chapter Two: The odds are most definitely _not_ in our favor.**

The next morning I wake up to the sound of Leroy screaming. I jump out of bed and run across the hall to the room he shares with Will and bang my fist on the door.

"Leroy! Leroy! Will open the door!"

After a few long seconds I hear the lock on the door turn, and the door swings inward. Will is standing with his hand on the knob, tears streaming from his scared eyes.

"Mags...I don't know what's wrong with him...he won't wake up!"

Will sobs, pointing at Leroy. He's sprawled on the floor face down, thrashing around as he screams and yells. I grab Will and pull him out of the way, then I rush over to Leroy and drop to the floor beside him.

"Leroy! Wake up right now! It's not real!"

I avoid his thrashing arms and flip him on his back. His eyes are wide open and bloodshot, staring at something in his half conciousness.

"Leroy!"

I scream his name again but it has no effect on him. Normally if you need to snap someone out of a trance or dream, you slap them, but I know violence will just increase his fear, so I start quietly singing a lullaby mother would use to put us to sleep.

_Close your eyes, the night is closing in, and the dawn is far away. Rest and peace, follow you in sleep, Let this melody stay. For though the night is dark, there's a bright new day coming, lay down your head, and live your dreams until the morning._

_Sleep little child, sleep my dear, escape from all your sorrow, drown all your fear. Don't you mind the darkness, the dawn is drawing closer, and we will be together, in the bright new day._

Leroy's breathing gradually slowed as I started singing, and he closed his eyes. Before I can start the next verse, tears escape from under his eyelids and slowly run down his temples.

"Mother used to sing that to us."

He says quietly, opening his eyes and looking at me. I nod with tears in my eyes as well.

Leroy sits up slowly, and rubs his head.

"I...I was having a nightmare."

Will walks over and lets out a small laugh.

"Yeah, I think we knew that. You wouldn't wake up."

He looks from me to Will, and sighs heavily.

"It...It was so real."

I wrap my arms around him and give him a tight hug.

"It wasn't real."

"But it was about..."

I cut him off.

"It wasn't real. Come on, let's get some breakfast."

I release him, and he tries a small smile, but I can tell he's still scared. I look at Will and see the anxiety in his eyes too. It's reaping day, and you can almost feel the heavy weight of doom in the air.

I try all I can to lighten the mood, cracking jokes and acting silly for my brothers benefit, but my efforts do little to lift their spirits. I know Father isn't here, He probably won't show up until the entire district gathers in the town square for the reaping.

Since he's a doctor, he is required to be on call to make sure everyone who is not about to die is at the town square. I know he hates this, he has to tell children with disabilities and missing limbs that they are required to attend the reaping. I shudder as I remember a small twelve-year-old girl from district three who was reaped, she was blind and didn't even make it off her pedestal.

"Hey Mags."

I snap out of my musings as Leroy catches my attention.

"Hmm?"

I ask. He points to the stove.

"You're burning the eggs."

I spin around and pull the pan off the stove, quickly scraping the scrambled eggs onto a large plate. Only a few pieces are slightly brown, and I turn to my brothers with a wrinkled nose.

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Will and Leroy both shrug their shoulders, and then we all start laughing. It's then I'm glad I burned the eggs, it was worth it to hear them laugh.

"Well you guys have to eat them anyway so I guess it doesn't matter."

I say with a grin as I carry the plate of eggs and a plate of toast to the wooden dining table. We all sit down and start eating, and everything is quiet for several minutes. Will finally breaks the silence.

"Mags?"

I turn to him.

"Yeah?"

He takes a sip of milk from his glass, and sets it down on the table, evidence of it on his top lip. I toss him a napkin and he replies as he asks.

"That song you were singing earlier...I've never heard it before."

I think for a minute. Have I never sung that to him before?

"Oh?"

He nods slowly.

"Did mom used to sing it?"

I glance at Leroy who is looking at me, turning back to Will I nod.

"Yes, it was her favorite lullaby."

Will nods slowly.

"I thought so. It's pretty."

I nod and give him a smile.

"Yes it is."

Suddenly Will remembers something and says with a large smile.

"Mags! I almost forgot, It's your birthday!"

I smile as I realize I had forgotten.

"Happy birthday!"

He says as he stands up and gives me a hug. I laugh and kiss his temple.

"Thanks buddy."

We finish eating breakfast quickly and clean up the kitchen. I search through the boys closet to find something suitable for them to wear to the reaping. I decide on a dark brown shirt and khaki pants for Leroy, and a pair of black pants and blue shirt for Will that makes his eyes look electric.

"Hurry up and get dressed and brush your hair, I'll meet you downstairs in a few minutes okay?"

They nod and I exit to my room.

I open my closet and look skeptically at the contents. I have never been overly fond of skirts or dresses, growing up with two younger brothers my wardrobe pretty much consisted of cut off shorts and jeans. Determined to find something nice to wear, I begin searching through the hanging clothes. I try a few things on, quickly shedding them and looking for something else.

I'm about to give up and just go in jeans when something catches my eye. I push aside all the clothes and hanging in the very back of the closet, is a dress that I don't remember ever seeing. I pull it out and look it over, realizing it must have been my mothers.

I dress in it quickly, and look in the mirror. I smile as I turn slowly and watch my reflection.

The dress is a deep blue like the ocean, it has a shallow scoop neck and thick straps. The hem falls just below my knees in front, and barely brushes the floor in the back. Intricate embroidery forms an empire waist, and the embroidery travels down the skirt in a design that looks like waves. The fabric ripples slightly as I move, and it is perfect.

I pull on a pair of black sandals, and completely at a loss of what to do with my hair, I brush my long blonde locks and leave my it hanging down my back.

I walk downstairs quickly, and find my brothers waiting in the living room. Both of their jaws drop when they see me.

"What?"

I say with a slightly embarrassed smile.

"You're gorgeous!"

Will blurts out. He blushes slightly and says.

"I mean...you're always pretty, but you never look like that."

I laugh and give him a tight hug.  
"Well thanks."

I feel Leroy tap my shoulder, and I turn to him. He points out the window where I can see families on their way to the square. I turn back to Leroy and slip my hand in his, giving him a reassuring smile.

"Let's go."

I feel Will grab hold of my other hand, and we walk outside, joining the growing crowd of people slowly moving towards the square.

I keep tight hold of Will and Leroy's hands, holding them close to my sides as we move with the silent crowd. Everyone is silent, whispering slightly among themselves, the crowd travels in knots, parents clinging tightly to their children, knowing that in a matter of minutes they will be helpless to protect them from the reaping.

"Mags!"

My head turns towards the call, and I feel a little happiness fill me at the sight of Felix making his way towards us.

"Felix, have you seen father anywhere?"

He starts walking with us, as he shakes his head.

"He's probably still making calls."

I nod, we remain silent for a little while. Will and Leroy see some of their friends, and I tell them they can go say hi.

"Make sure to meet me at the sign in."

They nod and hurry off to wish their friends good luck.

"Mags..."

Felix trails off. I know what's bothering him, so I slide my arm around his waist and rest my head against his side. He wraps his arm around my shoulder and kisses the top of my head.

"I know."  
I say quietly, looking forward to see the platform they've raised to hold the victors the mayor and our escort. I feel fear growing in my stomach, but somehow I also feel strangely calm.

"I have to go sign in Felix."

He nods, still holding me tightly.

"Felix..."

He looks down, and kisses me. The kiss lasts for a long moment, and I finally pull away.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

He nods slowly, and I have to pull my hand away from his. I give him a smile.

"I'll find you after the reaping."

I call as I move to the table they've set up to sign in.

"Hand."

The peacekeeper commands tersely. I reach my hand forward and they roughly stab a needle into the tip, taking the drop of blood produced he waves me forward.

"Seventeen year olds over there."

He gestures to a roped off area.

"Thank you."

I say. He looks at me strangely, and there's something in his eyes. I give him a smile as I walk away, knowing that he probably doesn't get many. I lose sight of him as I stand among the other seventeen year old girls. I look over towards the boys, and scan the fourteen year olds for Leroy. I spot him looking pale and manage to catch his eye. I give him a smile, and he returns it weakly.

I find Will in the twelve-year-old boys, his blue shirt standing out. He gives me a grin and waves, I smile and wave back.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

Our escort, Pixie Wisp, chirps gaily. I turn my attention to the stage and see that she looks exactly the same. Same yellow hair and magenta flower tattoos covering her neck and arms. This year she's dressed in an outfit so crazy, I only really notice the color which is bright purple.

"Happy hunger games!"

Pixie trills in her unnaturally squeaky voice, clapping her hands together excitedly.

"I bet you all are just as excited as I am!"

The crowd is deathly silent. She doesn't seem to notice as she goes on to introduce the mayor. He starts to give the speech recited every year about the rebellion and the time known as the dark days. I zone out and search the crowd that is here to watch, praying that their children don't get picked. I find Felix in the crowd, he stands taller than a lot of them.

His eyes are fixed intently on me, and I give him a smile. He doesn't return it, and I know he's thinking of when his sister got picked. I spot my dad standing near him, looking over the crowd and spotting each of his children. He catches my eye and I give him a wave. He waves back, giving me a smile.

"Let's get started!"

Pixie's shrill squeal snaps my attention back to the stage. She prances over to the large glass bowl containing the girls names, her ridiculous heels click on the stage, and I wonder how she can een stand in those.

She digs her long nails into the paper slips, and makes a huge show of swirling them around, picking one and dropping it back. The number thirty flashes through my mind, and suddenly the odds don't look so good. She finally decides on a paper, and walks back over to the microphone.

"This years district four female tribute is..."

She unfolds the name, and the air stands still, everyone is holding their breath, waiting for the name that will decide their fate. Pixie squints at the name for a moment. Finally un-confidently pronouncing the name.

"May-jar-ita, Flint."

It takes me several seconds, and a few nudges to realize...that's _my_ name! Her mispronunciation threw me off, but the last name is what makes it clear. I have just been reaped.

"May-jar-ita?"

Pixie says again. I take a deep breath, and start moving through the other girls. They all move out of my way, as if somehow now I am poisoned, and if they touch me my fate will rub off on them.

"Oh! There she is!"

Pixie says cheerfully. I climb onto the stage, and stand next to the microphone. I don't have time to worry about the fact that I am now a tribute, I'm too busy trying to spot each of my family members in the crowd.

Leroy is ashen, his face reading disbelief. I find Will, and his eyes and mouth are open wide, staring at me as several tears roll down his cheeks. I see my father looking pale, but standing strong and looking at me encouragingly. Felix is staring into space, his whole body shaking. I try to catch his eye but he's lost in his own world. Undoubtably reliving his sisters games.

"Now the boys!"

Pixie's high-pitched voice brings me back to the reaping. She walks over to the glass bowl containing the boys names and makes another big show of digging around in the bowl. Picking a slip she walks to the microphone and read out quickly.

"Will Flint."

I feel my heart stop, and I snatch the paper from her hand as I shout.

"No! It can't be him!"  
Pixie squeaks in surprise as I take the slip from her. The black ink is unforgiving, and clearly reads my little brothers name.

"No..."

I can barely choke out the word quietly as I drop the paper slip. I look out to my father and see the look of despair on his face.

"I volunteer!"

I hear a shout, and I recognise the voice. I turn to see Felix in the crowd, his eyes fixed firmly on the stage.

"You are no longer eligible for reaping!"

"Stay back!"

"Keep out of this boy."

The scattered shouts call back at Felix and a peacekeeper stands near him to make sure he stays where he is. His brown eyes are burning with a fierce intensity, but he realizes he's helpless. I find Will moving through the crowd, quickly wiping the tears off his cheeks. He holds his head high and walks up onto the stage.

Shock has hit me so hard I can't seem to do anything, I can't cry or scream, I can't even seem to move. Will gives me a smile, and it breaks my heart. Why? Why? Why?! Why did it have to be Will? It could have been _anyone_ else, and then something hits me. _I _was reaped too, _I'm_ going into the games with him. _I _can protect him. Confidence and hope fills me, and I manage to return his smile.

"You both have the same last name!"

Pixie squeaks, clapping her hands.

"Are you related?"

Will looks at her with a quizzical eyebrow raised.

"He's my little brother."

I say, my voice wavering a little. She looks from Will to me.

"Really? You two don't look at all alike!"

Will rolls his eyes.

"Really? I had no idea."

Pixie looks a little put out, and there's a ripple of laughter from the crowd.

"Well fine then smarty pants."

She turns to the crowd.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this years district four tributes. Brother and sister, Will and May-jar-ita Flint!"

There's a sad attempt at applause, and the peacekeepers herd us into the justice building. They try to separate us, but I hold on tightly to Will and say.

"We're brother and sister! The same people are going to be visiting the two of us."

The peacekeeper in charge looks at us sadly.

"Orders are orders."

Will turns to me and smiles.

"It's okay Mags, I'll see you in an hour okay?"

I give him a small smile and nod.

"Okay."

A peacekeeper pushes me into a small lounge type room, and says quickly.

"You get one hour."

He then steps out and shuts the door. I sink onto a velvet love seat, and stare at the patterned carpet. My mind is numb, and the only thought that is clear in my head is that I have to keep Will safe, I have to help him win this. The door opens and my father rushes in. I stand up and am immediately swallowed in his hug.

"Magarida, my strong girl."

He holds me so tight I can barely breathe, but I don't want him to ever let go. I tell myself not to cry, I have to appear strong for the cameras, sponsors don't like weak tributes.

"Daddy, I'm going to bring Will home."

He nods slowly, still holding on to me tightly.

"I can't lose you..."

I choke back a sob and level my voice.

"You can't keep both of us...I have to keep Will safe...he needs to come home to you and Leroy."

My father finally pulls away, looking intently in my eyes.

"You'll be fine without me."

My voice breaks halfway through the sentence, and I bite my quivering lip. My father holds my face in his hands, and gently rubs his thumbs against my cheeks.

"Magarida, you are just like your mother. I know she would be proud of you."

I nod slowly, swallowing hard to stop the lump in my throat from rising.

"When you see Will...don't tell him what I'm planning on doing..."

He nods, and kisses my forehead.

"My strong girl, you can keep him safe."

The door opens and the peacekeeper says my father's time is up. He wraps me in his arms one last time, and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"I love you baby girl."

He pulls away and walks out, the door slams shut behind him. It's like all my strength has left with him, and I sink back onto the love seat. A few moments later and the door opens again. Leroy stands with red eyes and a tear streaked face. I try to give him a smile, but it fades almost instantly. He walks forward and sits next to me.

"I...you...just..."

He tries to stammer something out, but chokes on his words. I grab him in a hug, and he holds me tightly, weeping unashamed.

"Leroy, I'm going to get Will home."

He manages to choke out a short sentence.

"I'm going to lose you..."

I hold him tighter and fight the tears harder than ever.

"I know...but Will is going to be coming home...and you won't really be losing me, I'll always be looking out for you."

He pulls away slightly, and looks in my eyes.

"If you're going to...leave."

As I look in his eyes I know what he's thinking, and this brings the tears. I nod slowly.  
"I'll tell mom you love her."

He sobs and hugs me so tight it hurts.

"I love you big sis..."

I hold onto him so tight my fingers turn white.

"I love you too Leroy. You promise to take care of Will when I'm gone?"

He nods, unable to say anything else. The peacekeeper comes and announces that his time is up. He gives me a tearful kiss on the cheek, and slowly walks out.

"I'll look after him."

He calls back as the door closes. I try to take a deep breath, but only succeed in sobbing. The door opens and before I have time to think I'm in Felix's arms and the tears are coming thick and fast. My breathing breaks down into sobs, and my body starts shaking with the force.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry Felix."

I sob into his shoulder, I'm holding onto his shirt so tight my knuckles are white and my grip on him is vise like.

"Don't...don't say you're sorry."

He says, shaking his head. I feel his lips resting gently on my neck, and his tears fall on my shoulder.

"But...I am sorry...I'm leaving you...I'm not coming back."

He pulls away slightly, and looks in my eyes, the same intense light is in them as before.

"Don't say that, you can come back, I know you'll come back to me."

I shake my head, the tears almost blinding me.

"No...I'm not coming back...Will has to come back...I'm going to make sure Will comes back."

He realizes the choice I've made, he knows I'm going to do everything I can to get Will home, even if it means killing myself.

"No! Mags you can't say that!"

I stop him from saying anything else by pressing my lips against his, kissing him desperately, knowing it will be the last time. He slowly gives in and wraps his arms around my waist, kissing me back with all the love he feels, and all the passion I know we share.

Kissing him brings me a sense of calm, knowing he is safe, knowing he'll look after my brothers when I'm gone. I don't know how long we stay kissing, locked in each others arms, but soon the peacekeeper opens the door.

"One more minute please!"

I ask, the tears still streaming down my cheeks. The peacekeeper glances at us sadly, then looks across the hall to Will's room.

"One more minute."

Relief floods my face and I thank him quickly as he shuts the door. Felix turns to me quickly and digs in his pocket.

"Mags, I need you to take this as your token."

He hands me a simple white gold band set with a small emerald.

"I was saving it for when I was going to propose...it was my mothers, she gave it to my sister..."

This only brings more tears as he holds my hand and slips the band onto my left ring finger.

"Felix...I can't...you won't be able to get it back..."

He shakes his head.

"No, I need you to have it. I need it to be with you."

I nod slowly, looking down at the ring.

"Okay."

I look up into his eyes, and hold his face in my hands.

"Felix, promise me you'll look after the boys? And my father? He's not going to handle this well."

He has tears running down his cheeks now, and he nods slowly.

"I promise."

I nod and give him a kiss.

"I'll tell your sister about you."

A pained sound escapes his lips, and he wraps his arms tightly around me. It's then that I realize the worst thing possible, Felix almost killed himself after his sister died.

"Felix!"

I say his name with such fierce intensity that his attention is directly on me.

"Don't you dare kill yourself."

Something flashes in his eyes, although I'm not sure what it is.

"Felix. Promise me!"

He nods slowly.

"I promise."

I sob as I say.

"Good, because I won't ever forgive you if you leave my family alone."

He wraps me in his arms and buries his face in my hair.

"I promise I'll take care of them."

The door opens again, and Felix kisses me one last time.

"I love you so much."

I wrap my arms around his neck, and nod.

"I know you do. I love you more than you could ever know."

The peacekeeper grabs Felix's arm and pulls him out of the room.  
"I love you!"

Felix's shout barely reaches me as the door slams shut once again. After sitting alone for a minute the door is opened once again and I'm ushered out. I see Will with wet cheeks, and bright eyes. He gives me a smile and wipes the tears off my cheeks.

"Hey, don't let them see your tears. They're not worth it."

I smile and wipe his cheeks off as well.

"You're right. We'll be tough and fearless eh?"

He nods and swells his chest.

"We are stone."

I can't help laughing, and he grabs my hand.

"I'll protect you Mags."

I kiss the top of his head as Pixie prances up.

"Oh how adorable! Come on now! The train won't wait forever!"

She pulls us to the train station and onto the train. The doors close and Will and I rush to the windows, watching our home shrink until it's lost on the horizon. Our world is shrinking away.

"Well don't stand there! Come see how nice the train is!"

Will and I reluctantly turn around, and can't help staring at the luxurious train. We've never seen anything so...grand. There are comfortable lounge chairs in all shapes and sizes, an enormous television, and a large glass dining table.

"Dinner will be served at five sharp! We'll arrive at the capitol in the morning!"

Pixie says with a happy squeak. Will looks at me and rolls his eyes, I snicker and hold a finger to my lips.

"Youre bedrooms are acrossed the hall from each other, they're just down there!"

She continues, pointing down a hallway. Will and I exchange a knowing look and I tell Pixie.

"You know what? We're both kind of tired, do you mind if we go rest until dinner?"

Pixie looks at the two of us for a moment, and Will fakes a huge yawn. She finally puts on a pitying face and says.

"Of course you poor dears! I'll send an avox to call you for dinner."

Will and I scoot off to our rooms. I stand in the hallway for a moment.  
"Go on, I'll be fine."

Will says with a smile, those sparkling blue eyes of his shining from between his dark curls. I smile and brush the curls out of his face.

"Alright, I'll see you at dinner buddy."

He nods and with a small wave walks into his room.

I open the door to my room and look around briefly at the enormous and luxurious space. I simple walk to the giant bed, sit on the edge of it and stare at the floor.

In one short week, I am going to die. We have a week of preparation in the capitol before we are shipped off to the arena located in a secret place. No one except the gamemakers know what the arena will be like, or what horrors it will hold.

I look down at the small ring on my finger, and I burst into tears. I lie on the bed and curl up tightly, letting my emotions run rampant, knowing that soon I won't be able to show what I really feel, I'll have to smile and act strong for the cameras and Will.

"Felix, I hope you'll find someone in the future who loves you as much as I do."

* * *

**Authors note: Okay I know, pretty depressing, it had me crying as I wrote it. I have three little brothers so it was really hard for me to write this, I can't even imagine being in Mags' position, and It's going to be so hard to continue with this story.**

**Anyway, this story is going to be very sad, and you may not want to continue reading if you are easily upset. (sorry!) But I hope some of you guys enjoy this story and I will try to update tomorrow!**

**PS: Please leave a review, it's the little button down there \/ that says "review", it's super easy and I love hearing what you guys think! It would help me out a lot :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello anyone who is reading this story!**

**Sorry for not updating for a few days, busy schedule and inspiration has not been very kind to me :P**

**But I'm here with another chapter for all you guys, and I hope you will continue to read and enjoy this story.**

**Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see in the story, any ideas I could add to the plot, what you think about it, and pretty much anything, I like adding idea's that people give me if they work for the story, and some people like to see their idea's actually put into writing :)**

**Please review! Seriously, 72 views and only 3 reviews? That means there are 69 people who have read and not reviewed. (you know who you are.) It really doesn't take long and I really do appreciate it a lot!**

**So with that in mind here's the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Capitol.**

I realize I must have dozed off, because I start awake as a loud knock sounds on the door.

"One minute!"

I call towards the door as I rub the sleep from my eyes and run in the bathroom. I look in the mirror and thankfully see that sleep has wiped away most of the signs of my crying. I quickly rinse my face in cold water and dry it off with a towel. Straightening out my clothes I walk to the door and open it.

I'm greeted by a tall and very thin middle-aged man, he has black hair and strange gold eyes, he's wearing a red uniform that tells me he works on the train.

"Yes?"

I ask as he just stands there. He points down the hall, towards the dining car.

"Dinner?"

I say slowly, he nods, and I realize he must be an avox, someone who is deemed a traitor of the capitol, they have their tongues cut out and are forced to work as servants.

"Are you an avox?"

I ask carefully, not wanting to offend him. He nods briefly, and turns to walk away.

"Thank you."  
I call after him, he pauses and turns slightly, giving me a smile and a small nod. Then he disappears down the hall.

I close my door and walk back into the bathroom, I find a brush and run it through my hair several times. To my great surprise, it vibrates slightly and my hair curls where I brush it. Pleasantly surprised, I quickly brush all of my hair and am left with my whole head covered in loose curls.

I decide to stay in the dress I'm wearing in since it's only slightly wrinkled, and quickly walk to the dining car, hoping I'm not late. I'm not, and I smile as I see Will sitting in one of the strange green chairs at the large glass table. He turns around when he hears me walk in, and gives me a large smile.

"Hey Mags, what happened to your hair?"

I laugh slightly and run my fingers through the loose curls.

"I wanted to smooth my hair out, but the brush in the bathroom had other ideas."

He giggles and shakes his dark curls.

"Now you look more like me!"

I ruffle his curls and sit next to him.

"Sort of. Where did you get your curls and dark hair anyway? I look like mom with straight blonde hair and green eyes, Leroy has dad's light brown hair and brown eyes, and you, well you have almost black curly hair and blue eyes. Care to explain that?"

He shrugs with a grin and brushes his hand over my loose curls.

"I don't know, I'm just special I guess. Maybe I'm like Felix, his skin is really tan all the time, and he has black hair. People say he got it from someone way back in his family, maybe I got my dark curly hair and blue eyes from someone way back in our family too."

I kiss his forehead and shrug.

"Maybe."

He realizes something and says quickly.

"Mags I'm sorry for bringing up Felix...I didn't mean too...I didn't even think about it..."

I shake my head and put my arm around his shoulders.

"No, don't be sorry, I like talking about Felix. You mention him all you want."

"And who might I ask is Felix?"

Will and I both look up as a deep voice cuts in on our conversation. I can't help looking surprised when I see a young man with chocolate-colored hair that falls around his ears in thick waves. It's hanging slightly in his eyes, and with a small flick of his head he flips it to the side, exposing his bright grey eyes.

He flashes me a grin that shows his perfectly straight, shining white teeth.

"You must be Will and...Will's sister."

He sits down across from me and relaxes back in his chair crossing his arms as he continues.

"Pixie tried to tell me your name but I gave up trying to pronounce it."

He flashes us another grin.

"Probably because her variation of your name changed everytime she said it."

I shoot him a glare.

"It's Mags."

He raises his symmetrically arched eyebrows.

"Really? I thought it was longer...and much more complicated."

I continue to glare at him, not appreciating his casual and a little flirty attitude.

"Nope, just Mags."

He shrugs.

"Whatever. You didn't answer my question; who's Felix?"

I'm about to tell him that it's none of his dang business, but Will who has been silent all this time speaks up.

"He's Mags boyfriend."

I turn my glare to Will, but when he turns to look at me I can't stay mad at him. Especially not now.

"Oh?"

The young man says raising his arched brows, as he looks at me with an amused grin.

"You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend."

He says with the slightest hint of humor in his voice. I give him a glare and say coldly.

"It's none of you business."

He continues looking at me with that infuriating look of amused indifference as he replies casually.

"Actually, everything about you two is now my business."

I'm about to ask why when Pixie walks in, dressed in a completely different outfit that is just as outrageous as the last.

"Oh! I see you've met Dash, he's going to be your mentor!"

She trills happily as she sits down at the head of the table. I turn to the young man with a disbelieving raised eyebrow.

"Dash? Really?"

He clicks his tongue and winks at me as he replies.

"Short for Dashing."

I roll my eyes and make a point to ignore him. I turn to Pixie and ask.

"Is dinner going to be here soon? I'm starving."

Pixie turns to press a small button on the wall as Dash continues to stare at me.

"I don't suppose you'd tell me what your name is short for? Now that I've told you mine I think you owe me the right to know yours."

I turn to give him another glare and reply in a voice that clearly indicates 'back off'.

"I highly doubt your name is 'Dashing', and I don't owe you anything."

He keeps up his nonchalant attitude as he rests his elbows on the table and leans forward, dropping his voice until it's casually low.

"Actually, you and your little brother owe me your lives if you want me to get you out alive."

I lean forward slightly and stare straight into his grey eyes, lowering my voice so Will can't hear.

"Well in that case I still don't owe you anything."

Something flashes in his eyes for a moment, that looks like confusion or disbelief. I lean back in my chair and turn my attention to Will who has thankfully been paying no attention to Dash or I.

"Hey Will, what are you looking at?"

I ask nudging him with my elbow. He turns to look at me with wide eyes and points. I follow his finger and my jaw drops as I see servants walking into the dining car laden with trays that are overflowing with food.

As tray after tray is set on the table, everything else that was on my mind instantly vanishes, and now my brain is focused on one thing. Eating.

There are so many decadent and glorious culinary creations, most of which I don't even know what to call. There are many things placed before Will and I that we have never seen let alone heard of before.

Pixie notices our wide eyes and hanging jaws, and she giggles as she remarks.

"Isn't it wonderful! Only the best for our tributes!"

I notice that for once the grin is vacant from Dash's face, and although he appears indifferent, there's something in his mood that suggests he dislikes something. Could it be the fact that the capitol citizens gorge themselves on more rich food everyday than a family of five could feast on for a week back home? Maybe he just doesn't approve of tonight's menu, although I can't see how you could dislike all the different meals laid out before us.

The next hour or so Will and I spend eating as much as our stomachs can hold, and then some. Pixie eats very little, saying something about not wanting to gain weight. Silly capitol people, why would you ever not want to gain weight? Dash consumes a huge amount of food with ease, and if he eats that much for each meal it's a wonder he's not fat.

As this thought passes through my head I can't help observe his tall muscular form, coming to the conclusion that he must work out to maintain his figure.

After eating more food than I thought possible, Will and I are both feeling a little ill, and I know I want nothing more than to go to bed and fall into a food coma, but Dash has other plans.

"We need to watch a re-cap of the reapings, you need to get a feel for the other tributes."

Will innocently asks why, and Dash's face turns grim as he answers.

"You need to see what you're up against."

This scares Will, and I hold his hand tightly before shooting Dash a look. Will cheers up after a minute and runs into one of the many lounge cars, immediately falling into a giant round pillow that is lying on the floor. He sinks into it slightly and crows his delight. Pixie smiles and explains that it's called a sandbag, and that like its name implies, is filled with sand.

I sit on a plush light blue couch facing the giant screen on the wall. Dash saunters over and plops down on the same couch, sitting uncomfortably close to me. I slide over until I'm leaning against the arm of the couch, and pick up a fluffy pink pillow, hugging it protectively. I catch Dash's amused grin out of the corner of my eye, and tell myself to ignore it.

Dash picks up a small rectangle of glass, and I watch fascinated as it lights up. He taps one of the lights and the screen on the wall flickers to life. The games are a huge event, and it's all the capitol talks about from a week before the reaping until a month after the victor is crowned. Dash quickly finds the channel that is dedicated solely to the games, and we are just in time to watch a re-cap of each districts reapings.

I look with mild surprise at the interview host, a man named Estevan Gypsy. He has black hair that sticks up in sharp spikes, and silver tattoos lacing down the left side of his face, starting above his eyebrow curving down his cheekbone, following his jaw line and ending at his chin where he has a goatee that ends in a curl. It is the same color as his tattoo, creating the illusion that the tattoos leave his skin and form the beard. His suit is a shiny black with silver accents, and as he starts talking I notice that his two canines are inlaid with silver. I think I can guess what his favorite color is.

"Ladies and gentleman!"

He begins with a one-sided grin, as he pauses to wait for the cheers to die down, I make a note on how his voice sounds normal, unlike the usual squeekyness of the capitol citizens.

"Welcome to the first broadcast of the eleventh hunger games! Tonight we will be watching the reapings of each district, and catch a glimpse of this years tributes!"

The crowd bursts into more cheers, and this cue's the screen to switch to the reaping footage.

"Pay close attention to everyone, sometimes the tributes everyone writes off first are the ones with the most to hide."

Dash tells Will and I as District one flashes on the screen. I listen to what he says and observe each tribute carefully.

The two from District one both volunteer, and I realize that as far back as I can remember the tributes from Districts one and two are almost always volunteers.

The girl from District one's name is Ruby, she has flowing red-gold hair and intense honey hued eyes. She's tall and lithe, moving almost like a cat up onto the stage, she is going to be a big threat.

The boy from one is named Champion, and he looks like he could be just that with his sinewy figure and dark piercing eyes.

Both tributes from District two are also volunteers, and if at all possible look more deadly than the two from District one.

The girl is so muscular, it looks almost unnatural. She has short, choppy hair the color of dirty straw and her eyes appear to be a dark brown, although they are so dark they look almost black.

The boy form two is huge, and not just tall, which he has to be around six and a half feet, but wide, his shoulders and chest are broad and muscular, his legs look as thick as my waist, and he shakes the stage as he stomps up the steps. His short hair is almost white and his light blue eyes are ice-cold.

The tributes from District three are both thin and small, and they both look terrified.

The girl is only thirteen, and her curly red hair and shy green eyes make my heart ache.

The boy isn't much better, he's the same age as Leroy, but about a half a foot shorter. His shaggy brown hair falls past his ears, and his eyes look even larger behind small round glasses.

Then it's our reapings, and I flush with embarrassment as the screen pauses and Estevan makes a short commentary.

"Before we continue I would like to say something about this next reaping. I think we were all surprised with the way this particularly unusual reaping played out."

The screen starts again, and I blush darker as Pixie calls out my name.

"May-jar-ita?"

She calls unsure of herself. The cameras zoom in on my face, and I watch myself as I realize that I was the one who was reaped. My face registers surprise, then it levels out to almost indifference. I watch myself walk quietly on stage and stand next to the microphone, looking calm and confident. My eyes scanning the crowd for my family. I look over at Will as Pixie picks his name and reads it out. His face betrays nothing, and he looks at me with a grin.

"No! It can't be him!"

My attention is returned to the screen as I shout out on stage. I can feel Dash's eyes on me, and this succeeds in deepening my blush further.

I watch myself stare in complete shock at the small piece of paper, shaking my head slightly as I manage to choke out.

"No..."

The paper slip falls from my hands, and I'm frozen in shock, staring at the small paper on the stage.

"I volunteer!"

The cameras have zoomed in on Felix's face, showing the desperate determination on his face. A peacekeeper moves to stop him going towards the stage, and the scattered shouts crush any idea he had. The cameras switch back to my face, and I watch my expression change from confusion to realization, to fear and back to hopeless shock again. Will walks up to the stage, looking carefree and easygoing like always, like he's just taking a walk on the beach.

I watch him give me a smile, and pain registers on my face, then I manage to straighten up and return his smile, determination on my face now. Pixie inquires about our last name being the same, and I'm glad my response, although shaky, sounded stronger and more confident.

Dash chuckles as Will rolls his eyes and replies sarcastically to Pixie's comment about us not looking alike.

"That wasn't very nice you know."

Pixie says poutily. Will gives her a smile and Dash says quickly.

"No, no, it was smart."  
He turn and looks at Will.

"Good thinking Will, the capitol love humor, and what you did there is already getting you fans."

Will's eyes brighten up.

"Really?"

Dash nods.

"Yup, I promise they're going to love you."

Will returns to the screen with a happy smile. Dash looks over at me and I refuse to make eye contact. While I am grateful for him boosting Will's spirit, I am not going to put up with his attitude.

The screen freezes again, and Estevan begins talking about the reaping.

"There you have it. A lot more action than we usually get in all the reapings! Think about it, a brother and sister reaped, a desperate volunteer attempt which is shot down due to the fact the boy had turned nineteen that day! Imagine if the reaping had been a day before? Yes folks this is indeed a tragedy. The two Flint kids will have a lot more to face before this is all over. I wonder if they will face it together? Or will this be the time that they don't discriminate between family?"

I snort in disgust at the thought of Will and I turning on one another. Will looks back at me with a smile.

"He's silly to think we'd ever hurt each other."

I return his smile and wrinkle my nose.

"Yeah, he's crazy."

Dash watches us closely, and I wonder briefly what he's thinking.

The rest of the reapings aren't that memorable. District five, six, eight, nine, eleven and twelve's tributes didn't really make an impression, I do remember that the girl from eight was only twelve, and her tiny frame looks like you could break her with a hug.

District seven's tributes both look strong, the girl is my age, and I think her name is Patricia. The boy is eighteen and he's covered in scars from I assume working in the forests. I don't remember his name, but his stoney face is hard to forget.

The two from ten were puzzling. The girl was sixteen, but she was _so_ tiny. Her blue-grey eyes looked like they could hypnotize you, and there was something about the way she moved onto the stage that made me think of a cat stalking it's prey. The boy wasn't much better with his black hair and nasty scar across one eye, causing the normal brown to turn into a milky white. This gives him a sinister appearance, and somehow I don't think his injury will be a disadvantage in the arena.

After the reapings were all done, Estevan made a few remarks on the different tributes, and expectations for the coming games. Dash switches the television off and asks Will and I our opinions about the other tributes.

I tell him briefly what I thought, and then he turns to Will.

"What about you?"

Will is strangely quiet, and after a long pause he says.

"I wish I could help Lola."

I frown.

"Who?"

Will glances at the blank screen then looks at me.

"Lola, the girl from District eight."

My heart aches as I remember the tiny girl with large brown eyes and wavy auburn hair.

"Why do you wish you could help her?"

Dash asks with more gentleness then he's shown so far. Will shrugs.

"She's just so...young."

Dash nods.

"She's your age."

Will nods, glancing at me.

"I know. But she doesn't have anyone to help her..."

Dash sighs and hesitates before saying.  
"Listen Will, I know it's hard. It's probably one of the hardest things to do, but you have to forget about Lola. You can't feel sorry for the other tributes if you want to go home."

Will glances at me again, and drops his eyes.

"I...I know."

Dash stands up and ruffles his curls.

"Getting attached is probably the worst thing in the arena. One year this girl helped a little boy until the final five, the little boy turned on her, and stabbed her to death in her sleep."

Will looks horrified.

"Who would do something like that?"

Dash shakes his head.

"Someone who has lost all their morals, and lost their humanity."

Will's face turns determined and he says.

"I would never do something like that. It's wrong."

Dash smiles sadly at him.

"Sometimes you don't have a choice. The arena will do things to you...it messes with your mind."

Will shrugs and stands up.

"Well I'll try not to get attached to anyone. Okay?"

Dash smiles and pats his back.

"Thata boy! Now you should go get some rest, tomorrow we arrive in the capitol."

Will's eyes light up and he smiles.

"Is the capitol really as wonderful as everyone says?"

Dash pauses a moment, contemplating this question. Finally he grins and nods.

"It's unlike anything you've ever seen before."

Will yawns and then says.  
"I can't wait. Goodnight everyone."

He walks over to me and gives me a hug and kiss.

"Goodnight buddy, I'll see you in the morning. Love you."

He smiles and waves as he walks to his bedroom.

"Love you too. See you in the morning."

He disappears into the other car, and I glance at the screen before saying.

"I think I'll turn in as well. Goodnight."

Pixie chirps a goodnight with a scattering of our schedule for tomorrow. I smile and reply quickly.

"Sounds great, I'll see you tomorrow."

Dash remains silent, sprawled on the couch and flipping through random channels. I don't wait for him to say anything, walking through the different cars until I reach my room. I open the door and walk inside, feeling drained after everything that's happened today.

I look through the large dresser to one side of the room and find it is full of wonderful clothes. I hardly pay attention to any of them as I find a drawer dedicated solely to sleep wear. I pull out a camisole and pair of soft shorts. I quickly change, laying my dress carefully on top of the dresser, wondering what will happen to it.

I walk the the bathroom and finding a normal brush, smooth out all the curls in my hair. I brush my teeth, the whole time thinking of Felix, my father and Leroy. I think about how much Felix loves me, and how now we'll never be able to get married or have a family. This brings tears to my eyes, and I swallow the lump in my throat. I can't have that, but I can give that to Will.

I rinse my mouth out and spit in the sink, reminding myself that Felix will be alright without me, and hoping that someday he will fall in love again.

I jump in surprise as a knock sounds on my door. Confused, I walk to the door and pause before opening it. I start when I see Dash standing in the hall, suddenly becoming incredibly self conscious about my sleep wear.

He turns to face me when he hears the door open, and tries a grin. I give him a look and the grin fades, he clears his throat.

"Um...I wanted to talk to you. Do you mind if I come in?"

I hesitate before swinging the door open and walking over to the bed. Dash walks in and closes the door behind him. I sit on the foot of my bed and cross my arms.

"What did you want to talk about?"

I ask slightly curious. He shrugs, suddenly becoming very interested in the carpet.

"Nothing much...just a few things..."

I raise my eyebrows questioningly, and wait for him to continue.

"Do you want to sit down?"

I ask after a moment of silence. He thinks about it, before sitting down next to me.

"Earlier, when I said you owe me your life if you want me to get you out alive? Well you said that you still didn't owe me anything."

I nod, keeping on guard, unsure of what he's doing here.

"Does that mean you aren't going to try and win?"

I glance at the door, knowing that acrossed the hall my little brother is probably asleep, hopefully dreaming of home and happy things. Dash follows my gaze and realization dawns on his face as I turn to look at him.

"You're going to try and get Will out alive."

I nod slowly, staring at my hands.

"Mags...you can't write yourself off first thing."

I frown and look up.

"Yes, I can. It's my life and I can decide what to do with it."

He holds up his hands defensively as he replies.

"I didn't mean it like that, of course you have the choice. I meant to say, what happens if Will doesn't make it?"

I shake my head.

"That's not going to happen, Will is going to go home to my father and Leroy."

He looks confused for a moment and I explain quickly.

"My other little brother."

Dash nods slowly.

"No mother?"

I shake my head, irritated that he's asking me all these personal questions.

"She died giving birth to Will."

"I'm sorry."  
"It's okay."

There's an awkward pause, then finally Dash says.

"The kid who tried to volunteer...was he your boyfriend?"

I look down at my ring, twisting it slowly around my finger.

"Yes, Felix turned nineteen the day of the reaping, and I turned seventeen."

He looks up in surprise.

"Today is your birthday?"

I laugh bitterly and nod my head slightly.

"Some birthday huh?"

He doesn't say anything, glancing at the ring.

"You weren't just boyfriend and girlfriend were you?"

I look up and snap at him.

"It's not really any of your business."

He raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

"Sorry, I just don't think two kids should get involved seriously when they're still eligible for reaping."

I feel tears building in my eyes, and I refuse to cry in front of him.

"Kids? You can't be that much older than Felix."

He shrugs.

"How old are you exactly?"

I ask, changing the subject. He pauses a moment before answering.

"Twenty. It seems odd to think I was right where you are five years ago."

I look at his eyes.

"You won the sixth hunger games?"

he nods.

"I'm the first District four victor."

There's silence for a long moment.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about?"

He shrugs.

"Yeah."

Then he stands up.

"I'll see you in the morning miss Flint."

I roll my eyes and sigh.

"My name's Magarida if you really want to know. Please just call me Mags, everyone does."

He flashes me his grin.

"I knew I'd get the full name from you."

I point to the door.

"Goodnight."

He chuckles slightly, and walks to the door. As he opens it, a thought strikes me and I call after him.  
"Hey Dash?"

He pauses with the door half-open, and turns to face me.

"Yeah?"

I hesitate, then ask quietly.

"You were the boy weren't you? The one who stabbed the girl in her sleep."

Pain flashes in his eyes briefly, before his face hardens and he turns around.

"Goodnight Mags."

He walks out and closes the door behind him. I stare at the closed-door for a little while. Thinking of a fifteen year-old Dash, all alone in the arena, then the girl helps him, keeping him alive until the last few tributes, where Dash stabs her to death in her sleep. I'm not fond of Dash in the least, but I can't see him doing something like that. Maybe he's right, maybe the arena does change you.


	4. Chapter 4

**Greetings amigos!**

**here is another chapter for you :)**

**I would love to know what you think about the story...and the characters in said story.**

**I swear you people are afraid of the review button :P It's super easy and takes less than a minute, there's really nothing to be afraid of :)**

**So anyway, we are going to be heading into lots of action/drama/suspense coming up, so I hope you all are ready for that.**

**(once again I implore you to review!)**

* * *

**Chapter Four: Remade, and shown off.**

I have nightmares that night, all concerning my family back home and Felix. To my surprise none involve Will, I guess reality is a nightmare enough when it comes to him.

I wake up much earlier than I wanted to, but not wanting to face the nightmares again for a few more hours of sleep, I climb out of bed and quickly dress in a pair of white shorts and a mint green shirt that is made out of a silky material. I sneak out into the hallway, careful not to make a sound and disturb anyone elses sleep.

I find myself wandering through the train, exploring all the different styles of each car. I'm walking quietly through a rather small lounge, decorated in surprisingly muted tones of blue and green. I reach the other end of the room and I am about to walk into the next car when I hear a low moan behind me. All my nerves tense, and adrenaline automatically starts pumping through my veins. Getting over the start, I slowly turn around and scan the many seating options in the car.

I hear a slight noise over by the large window, and I cautiously creep forward, until I can see over the back of the large navy couch facing the window. I start in surprise when I see Dash sprawled on the couch, dressed in sweat pants and a T-shirt. His wavy brown hair is sticking to his forehead with sweat, and his face is twisted up in agony.

I pause for a moment, not knowing what to do. I decide to leave him there and return to my room, there's nothing I can do anyway. I turn around and reach the door, as my hand touches the handle, I hear a painful cry from Dash, and he starts mumbling in his sleep. I'm in a turmoil, on the one hand I don't really like Dash all that much, the only reason I tolerate him is because he could help bring Will home. But on the other hand, my conscience won't allow me to leave him to his nightmares.

I sigh in resignation, and walk back over to the couch. Dash is mumbling in his sleep, but I can't pick out what he's saying.

I walk around the couch and kneel in front of the couch, unsure of what to do.

"Dash."  
I say quietly, hoping he will wake up. He doesn't stir unfortunately, so I try again, a little louder.

"Dash!"

Still nothing. I reach forward and gently place a hand on his arm, his muscles are so tense his arm feels like stone. I apply a small amount of pressure and shake him slightly.

Suddenly he sits up with a roar and grabs my wrist, wrenching my hand off his arm. I let out a cry of pain and before I can react he has a knife pressed against my throat.

"Dash! It's me Mags!"

His grey eyes are wild and bloodshot, and it takes him a second to realize where he is. He blinks several times, and slowly lowers the knife from my neck.

"I...Um...I'm sorry...I didn't..."

He stammers for a minute and just trails off, releasing my wrist and sitting up fully.

I rub my wrist and stand up.

"It's okay, just next time I try to help you, don't try to kill me."

To my surprise he doesn't grin and give me a snarky reply, he just sits with his elbows on his knees, staring at the knife in his hands. I hesitate for a minute, then sit down next to him.

"Are you okay?"

The knife turns slowly in his hands, the blade catching what little light there is in the room.

"No."  
He says finally in a low voice. He doesn't offer any other explanation, so I sit for a few minutes, trying to decide what to do.

"You were having a nightmare."

I tell him. He just nods.

"What was it about?"

I ask slowly, knowing sometimes it helps my little brothers to talk about their nightmares. Dash lets his head droop, and drops the knife. It lands with a thud, sticking in the floor.

After a long pause, I hear him reply in a weak voice.

"What are you doing?"

I'm confused, what does he mean?

"What do you mean?"

He raises his head slightly, tilting it to the side so that can look at me. His face is unlike the flirtatious, indifferent young man he was earlier. Now it's sad, defeated, and he looks like a scared little boy.

"What are you doing? You don't like me, you made that very clear. You don't care if I help you or not, so why are you here? What are you doing?"

I shrug.

"I couldn't just leave you to your nightmares..."

He straightens up and turns to me.

"Why not? After all, you think I probably deserve them."

I shake my head and look into his eyes.

"No, I don't think anyone deserves to be tortured in their sleep."

He drops my gaze and looks at the knife.

"I do."

He says in a whisper. I hesitate before asking.

"Why do you deserve them?"

He rubs a hand across his forehead and chuckles slightly.

"Why do you care?"

He's starting to make me angry again, and I reply a little shortly.

"Because I was trying to help. So _excuse_ me."

he meets my gaze again.

"I'm sorry...but no one can understand..."

I shrug.

"Try me."

He sighs heavily and runs his fingers through his hair, leaning back against the couch he turns to me and finally says.

"If you really want to know, I guess I might as well tell you."

I sit with my back to the arm of the couch and tuck my legs up on the couch.

"You want to know why I deserve nightmares?"

I nod slowly. He glances again at the knife.

"You were right, earlier I mean...I was the boy that I told Will about."

I remain silent, waiting for him to continue.

"I had just turned fifteen, and had the odds against me. I was reaped, along with some girl I went to class with. During training, this girl from district seven came up to me and helped me with training. The next day she came back and started helping me again, when I asked her why, she told me I reminded her of her little brother. I let her help me with training, and under her guidance I became excellent with knives, throwing and hand to hand. We decided to make an alliance in the games, we made it to the final five..."

He trails off, staring at the knife. Finally he takes a deep breath and turns to me, tears running down his cheeks.

"The first night there was only five left, I waited until she had fallen asleep and then I stabbed her to death. She woke up with the first stab...and I'll never forget the look on her face as I stabbed her in the heart."

He turns to look at the knife again, and I say slowly.

"Betrayal?"

He shakes his head, replying bitterly.

"Gratitude."

I look at him confused.

"What?"

He looks at me and nods.

"Yes, before I sank that knife into her heart, she looked like she was grateful that I was killing her, happy that maybe I would win. She wasn't angry or disappointed. She was just...at peace."

"Well that should be a good thing right? That you know she wanted you to win? That she doesn't hold you responsible."

He shakes his head, grinding his teeth together.  
"No, it's not supposed to be like that. When I stabbed her, I wanted her to be mad at me, I needed her to think I betrayed her."

I shake my head, confused.

"Why?"

"Because I did betray her, and I can't deal with the guilt if I know she forgave me for it."

I sit silent for a moment, glancing at the knife in the floor.

"Her name was Hope..."

He says slowly, then with a sigh he wipes the tears off his cheek and turns to look at me.

"Now you know why I deserve the nightmares."

I shake my head.

"You still don't deserve them. Hope was trying the best she could to help you win, and if it had been down to the final two she would have killed herself so you can win. You should realize that she forgave you, and try to put it behind you."

He chuckles slightly and shakes his head.

"You have no idea do you?"

I frown, puzzled.

"About what?"

He sighs and pulls the knife out of the floor, pointing the blade at me as he replies.

"Once's you're reaped, you're the capitols until the day you die. It doesn't matter if you win the games, sure you get a nice house and more money than you know what to do with, but the capitol has you, they _own_ you until you die."

I shake my head.

"I don't understand..."

He stands up and looks down at me.  
"They can make you do whatever they want, and you do it because resistance means the death of everyone you care about. Trust me Mags, even if you win, once you're reaped you're already dead."

he turns and starts walking towards the door.

"I suggest you get some rest, you've got a full day ahead of you."

And with that he's out the door. I sit on the couch for a while, just thinking about everything he said. I don't know if I can believe what he says, but I can't seem to find a reason not to believe him. And if what he said is true, would it be better to just die in the arena?

I end up falling asleep on the couch, and several hours later I'm woke up by an avox. I hurry to the dining car and join the already breakfasting party. Will smiles brightly when he sees me.

"Morning Mags, how'd you sleep?"

I manage to return his smile as I take my seat next to him.  
"Good, how about you?"

He takes a huge bite of whipped cream and fruit covered waffles before saying.  
"I don't even remember sleeping, these beds are like magic, you lie down, and suddenly you're awake again feeling perfectly rested."

I laugh slightly and start piling my plate with breakfast.

"Maybe they are magic."

Dash is back to his old self as I quickly find out. He looks with a critical eye on my large plate.  
"Going to eat all that?"

He says with his crooked grin. I reply quickly before taking a huge bite.

"Yep."

He chuckles slightly and turns his attention to Will.

"Hey kiddo, ready to see the capitol in all its glory?"

Will nods eagerly, whipped cream smeared across his chin. I smile and wipe it off, planting a kiss on his forehead before returning to my breakfast.

"I just can't wait to see what your stylists have in mind for the chariot ride!"

Pixie chirps with a happy squeal. I suddenly remember that when we arrive in the capitol we are going to be prepped and meet our stylists who will create our costumes for the chariot rides tonight.

"What are our costumes going to be?"

Will asks curious. Pixie finds this hilarious and giggles for a while before answering.

"Oh silly! Nobody knows until tonight! It's a great surprise!"

Suddenly the train goes dark, and Dash suddenly looks tense, although he keeps up the indifferent attitude.

"We're here."

He says languidly, picking at a piece of pineapple on his plate. Will and I exchange glances before running to the windows just as the train clears the tunnel and we get our first look at the capitol.

It is definitely unlike anything we've ever seen before, for starters it's so...large. I've never seen such tall buildings, or so many for that matter. Another thing that is bizarre is all the bright colors, not natural colors, but colors that look like candy. It all seems like a whole other planet, and it has Will and I intrigued.

The train suddenly pulls into the station, and we see hundreds of strange colored people crowding the station, screaming and waving when they see us. Will looks at me surprised.

"Why are they doing that?"

I glance out at the excited crowd, then back down to my little brother.

"They saw us at the reapings, and I guess they liked us."

He smiles and waves back at the crowd. They continue to shout and point at us. Will laughs.

"They're funny looking."  
I jump as Dash's deep voice says right behind us.  
"I wouldn't say that to their faces. They think that they are very fashionable."

Will nods, and says with a wink.

"Of course. I wouldn't understand being only a little boy from district four."  
Dash grins and pats him on the back.

"Exactly. Come on you two, we need to get you to the prepping center."

He leads us over to the main doors, and we wait until the train comes to a complete stop, then the doors open and we are almost blinded by the bright flashes of light and deafened by the screams.

Cameras and microphones are thrust in our faces and questions are thrown at us thick and fast. I feel Dash grab hold of my hand, and I keep a tight hold on Will as Dash pushes through the crowd saying that we are late and we don't have time to answer any questions. After a moment we clear the crowd and are hurried into a waiting car. Somehow I end up in between Will and Dash, in the middle seat. My discomfort doesn't last long however because soon we arrive at the huge building that is going to be our prepping stations and the start for the chariot ride.

"This is where I leave you."  
Dash says with a grin, he glances at the doors and says.

"Whatever they do to you, just let them alright? Don't complain or whine, they hate that."

I nod, and Will grows a little apprehensive.

"What are they going to do to us?"

Dash grins and ruffles his curls.

"Make you look pretty."  
Will wrinkles his nose.

"Ugh."

Dash chuckles and says.

"Oh it's not that bad, don't worry."

He gives us a little push towards the doors.

"Don't worry, I'll be here when they're all finished with you."

He gives us one last little push and hops back into the car which pulls away, leaving us facing the remake center alone.

"Well I guess we'd better go in."  
Will says hesitantly. I grab his hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be alright, I promise."

He gives me a smile and we walk into the remake center. I look around and see that stations have been set up for each tribute, curtains hang in a large rectangle, enclosing a flat metal table, a large tub, and shelves of strange items and bottles. Will holds my hand tighter, as we start walking down the row of curtain rooms.

Most of them are closed, granting the tribute some privacy, but a few of the non self-conscious ones have decided to leave theirs open. I cover Will's eyes and lead him quickly past. Soon we come to the two curtained area's marked 'District Four' and a group of strange brilliantly colored people swarm out of the curtains and surround us, all talking at once.

"Oh look at them!"

"We got a couple of lookers this year!"

"I can't wait until we get all finished with them!"

"I wonder what the stylists have in store!"  
"Aren't you so excited!"

They chatter on in their insanely high voices as three of them grab Will, and the remaining three seize me. They pull us into our separate rooms, and I manage to give Will a confident smile before they close the curtains. I look around inside the room briefly, noticing there's a door in the only solid wall. Other than that I can't identify much.

"Oh look how pretty she is!"

A scarily thin woman with pale violet skin exclaims, clapping her long nails together happily.

"Imagine how perfect she'll be when we're done with her!"

She chirps, grabbing my hand and examining my fingernails. Another woman who is incredibly short with pointed ears and sparkles dusting all her visible skin speaks up as she inspects my skin and body.

"Oh yes she'll be one of the most gorgeous tributes the capitol has ever seen!"

The only man in my prep team, who has one strip of green hair across the middle of his head and pink sun tattoos across his hands steps behind me and starts running his fingers through my hair, twisting it and figuring out the thickness and volume.

"Such beautiful hair too! If a little dry, don't worry darling, we'll get you all fixed up."

They make me strip down and lie on the metal table. I'm extremely hesitant at first, but I remember what Dash said and don't complain. My prep team seem to view me as a lump of clay that needs to have all the imperfections removed so that it can be molded into a work of art. So I promptly have all the hair ripped from my torso, arms and legs. My eyebrows are plucked to perfection, my nails are formed into uniform shapes, and about two inches of skin is scrubbed from my body. I resist the urge to scream as they come at me with a strange device, telling me to open my mouth. I hesitate for a moment, and seeing my fear, the short sparkly lady with pointed ears who I have discovered is name Twinkle, giggles and says.

"Don't worry, it's only going to fix your teeth up, it won't hurt at all!"

This assures me somewhat, and in a moment I feel an odd cold sensation in my mouth, and then they say that they're finished. After that I have to take a million baths in different concoctions, and what feels like gallons of moisturizer is rubbed into my skin.

"The problem with District four is the tributes always have such dry skin!"

The thin woman with violet skin named Peggy says with a shake of her head. The man who I now find is named Niko, drenches my hair with a strange purple foam and starts scrubbing it into my scalp and hair as he says with a groan.

"Oh tell me about it, the state of her hair is outrageous! Dry and frizzy! We have our work cut out for us."

They spend hours doing who knows what to get me in 'perfect condition' for my stylist. Occasionally when their incessant chattering dies down a little, I can hear Will's prep team squeaking on about his condition. After what feels like forever, I'm finally told to stand up and my prep team circle me, looking with squinted eyes for anything they could have missed. Finally Peggy claps her hands, causing her nails to click together.

"She's ready! Let's go tell Bojo!"

They dash off, leaving me standing in the middle of the curtained room completely naked. I look around for something to cover up with, but finding nothing remain where I am.

"Mags?"

I hear the quiet whisper from the other side of the curtain. I smile and reply.  
"Is that you Will?"

I hear a little laugh.

"Of course it's me. Do you feel sore?"

I rub my now smooth soft skin and shake my head.

"Not really, although I probably should."

I hear Will moving around slightly as he replies.

"Yeah it's weird. What do you think our stylists will be like?"

I shrug even though I know he can't see me.

"I don't know, I guess we'll find out."

As if on cue, the door that my prep team disappeared into opens and out comes a man that has to be Bojo, my stylist. He has costume designs tattooed on his arms from the wrist to the shoulder, but besides that and his short teal hair he's surprisingly normal.

I'm painfully aware of the fact that I am completely nude, and I can't help the deep flush that floods my cheeks. He sees it and smiles slightly.

"Oh I'm sorry, do I make you uncomfortable?"

I shake my head, stammering out.

"It's not you...it's just um..."

He nods understandingly and says quickly.

"Do you mind if I look you over really quick? I need to get an idea of what will work for your body."

I nod and he gives me a quick smile. He walks around my quickly, coming to a stop in front of me and handing me a silky robe.

"Alright, why don't you put that on?"

I pull it on and tie it as I ask surprised.

"You're done already?"

He nods.

"Yes, it doesn't take long to get an idea. Twinkle Peggy and Niko have already given me your measurements, that should be all I need."

He leads me through the door into a small room that lays beyond. He motions for me to sit in a large chair as he takes a seat in the chair across from me.

"Now Mags, I was wondering what you would like to see yourself in tonight."

I stare at him in surprise.

"You want to know what I want?"

He nods with an amused expression on his face.

"Yes I believe that's what I said. Obviously by your reaction earlier you prefer something a little less, how should I put this...revealing?"

I blush again and nod.

"Yes I would prefer something more on the modest side, but whatever you have planned I'm sure will be wonderful."

He chuckles and claps his hands together.

"I like you. Would you mind telling me your name? I'm afraid nobody really knows, after Pixie stumbled through her pronunciation everyone's been wondering what your name really is."

I feel my heart sink, so the capitol citizens don't even know my name? But then I remind myself how this is probably a good thing since Will is the one people should be paying attention to.

"What are they calling me?"

I see a smile hovering on his lips, and there's a twinkle in his eye as he says dramatically.

"Lady of the sea."

My eyes open wide in shock, and my jaw drops.

"What?"

He bursts into laughter and nods.

"I am telling you the truth, since your name is unknown, I'm afraid the citizens have dubbed you the lady of the sea. Since you're from district four and all that."  
I smile and shake my head.

"Magarida is my full name, but please just call me Mags, everyone does and I like it so much better."

He smiles and nods.

"Mags it is then, and I know exactly what I am going to do for your costume now. Do you want some lunch?"

I find that of all the capitol people I've met so far, Bojo is the most friendly and non self-serving that I've seen. He asks me lots of questions about my home and family, and just everyday life in District four, he seems very interested in my relationship with Will, and asks my lots of questions concerning my feelings and such things about us being reaped together. I tell him what I can, and he doesn't pry to know more. After a little while, he calls my prep team back, and talks to them intently for about ten full minutes, by the end of the talk they are all squirming and squealing with delight.

"We'll get to work on her right away!"

Niko says happily as they pull me back in the prepping room and Bojo goes off to prepare my costume, at least that's what I assume.

Niko sets to work on my hair, Peggy does my nails and Twinkle works on my skin and makeup. I am forbidden to look at myself or know what they are doing to me, saying that it would ruin the surprise, so I just do what they say and in an hour or so Banjo shows up with a large garment bag.

"Close your eyes, and no peeking."  
He says with a broad smile. I do as he says and after lots of wrapping, pulling, adjusting and touching up, he finally turns me around and says.

"Alright open your eyes."

I open my eyes and stare in complete shock at the image in the mirror.

"What do you think?"

Bojo says with a pleased smile. I can't answer for a long time, and when I do I can only gasp.  
"I'm breathtaking..."

I can't find any other way to put it, because the image in the mirror has taken my breath away.

My hair is piled up on my hair in a pile of intricate weaves and braids, with lots of curls hanging down around my face and a few brushing my neck. My hair has been sprayed with glitter that is the color of the ocean, not exactly blue, and not exactly green. My skin is lightly dusted with the same glitter, and my makeup is dramatic. With shimmery blue and green eyeshadow, long dark lashes, highlights for my naturally bronze toned skin and a light coat of blue lipstick. I look almost unwordly.

My outfit is absolutely amazing. It is all shades of blue and green, cleverly woven together to look like the colors fade and mix with each other, just like the ocean. The dress is sleeveless with a modest sweetheart neckline, the back of the dress is made of a material that almost looks like scales, and it's thin enough so you can just see my skin underneath, the see through material ending about four inches above the bottom of my spine. The top is fitted, and at the hip the material falls loose to the floor. The whole skirt is layered in such a way that it looks like flowing water, and when I move the light catches on tiny hidden mirrors that reflect the light, looking like light pattern reflected off of water. The fabric is designed so that it ripples when I walk or move in the slightest, creating a mesmerizing effect.

I can't help giving Bojo a tight hug, almost crying as I say.

"It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen. I don't know how I can thank you."  
He smiles modestly and shakes his head, fiddling with the fabric a little.

"Oh you don't have to thank me, it's my job to make you look unforgettable."

I look back in the mirror, and twist slightly, causing the light to ripple across my skirt.

"Mission accomplished."  
I say with a grin. My prep team and Bojo usher me along into the large room that holds the twelve district chariots. Most of the other tributes are already there, but I don't pay them much attention, I'm too busy trying to catch Will's attention.

From almost across the room, it looks like he's dressed in a pair of tattered shorts that look like fish scales. He's shirtless and I can't help smiling at his skinny little body. He's wearing a pair of sandals and his curls have been left alone, although now they are shiny and smooth. As I get closer I notice his skin and hair is lightly dusted in the same glitter I have on me.

I'm still about thirty feet away when he turns around and notices me, his jaw drops and he shouts.

"Is that my big sister!"

I blush slightly as every eye is now turned on me. I refuse to think of all the other tributes looking at me, and I smile as I lift my skirt and run forward to give Will a hug.  
"You bet it's me. Didn't my stylist do an amazing job?"

Will turns with a genuine smile to Bojo.

"You must be a wizard!"

Bojo laughs heartily and pats my shoulder.

"Well you were right about him being funny."

Just then I hear a loud gasp behind me, and I twirl around, causing the light pattern on my dress to ripple severely. I blush slightly as I see Dash looking actually quite like his name, dashing, in a black suit. His wavy brown hair is styled slightly away from his gray eyes.

His mouth is open and he's staring with wide eyes at me.

"You...look..."

I smile slightly embarrassed.

"Over the top?"

He shakes his head.

"Absolutely beautiful."

My blush deepens and I shrug.

"Well you can thank Bojo for that."

Before he can say anything else I turn back to Will and survey his outfit.

"I like your costume too."

Will smiles and strikes a pose.  
"Jix says I'm a sea imp."

I laugh and poke him lightly in the stomach.

"That you are, how do you like your costume?"

He shrugs.

"I would like it better without the glitter."

I laugh and hold my arm next to his.

"Well look, we match again."

He smiles and I feel a hand on my back.

"You're going to be going soon. Best get in the chariot."

I automatically pull away from the hand, and turn around, meeting the bright grey eyes of Dash. He flashes me a grin, and nods towards the chariot.

"Come on gorgeous, your carriage awaits."

I smile slightly and give him a mock bow.

"Why thank you kind sir."

Will laughs and grabs my hand. We walk over to the chariot and I look at it confused for a moment.

"What's this?"

I ask, pointing to a piece that was added inside the chariot, it looks like a clamshell. Bojo and Will's stylist Jix; a bouncy, candy red-haired lady with lips altered to look like a heart, run up and eagerly explain what the addition is.

"It's for Will to sit in. Since he's small, it would be hard for the crowd to see him! And we don't want that now do we?!"

Bojo smiles and gives me a knowing look.

"So Will is going to be a little sea imp sitting in the clamshell, and you my dear are going to be what everyone is calling you; The Lady of the sea."

I look at Will exactly at the same time that he turns to me, and we both grin. Of all the years I've watched the games, our costumes are the best district four has ever had. Most of the time our tributes are just dressed up like some fish or another.

"Chariots in position!"

An electronic voice echoes through the large room. Will hops easily into the chariot, and climbs into his clamshell, crossing his legs and grinning. Dash offers his hand, and since I'm in such a good mood I take his hand and let him help me into the chariot.

"Let them know you're not afraid to show who you really are."

I look down at him confused.

"And who is that?"

He grins as the well-trained horses start to pull forward on cue.

"The lady of the sea!"

He calls after me, I smile and turn to face the front of the chariot. I see the District one, two and three's chariots ahead of us, and their tributes are standing stiffly apart from each other, pretending that the other person isn't even there as they wave and blow kisses to the crowd. As we pull out into the open and catch our first glimpse of the crowds, I start as the cheers suddenly erupt into a deafening roar, Will and I are being featured on the big screen and all attention is currently on us.

"You rock!"

Will screams at the crowd. This sets off more cheers and we are showered with flowers. Will turns to me with a grin, and leaning half out of his clamshell he plants a kiss on my cheek. The crowd goes wild, and I wave, smiling broadly as I realise; Will already has the love of the crowd, and I know that he will have at least some sponsers, and that can make all the difference.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello!**

**Once again I have received a grand total of...0 reviews. :P Not cool.**

**Come on! Is it really that hard to leave a short review? It can just say "I like this story" Or something about one of the characters or plot...or anything really.**

**I hope you guys would review, it really does encourage me to update sooner, where as now I'm having to push myself to continue writing.**

**Anyway, rant over and here's another chapter. (please, _please!_ review!)**

* * *

**Chapter Five: Already making enemies.**

I'm sitting in my room at the training center. After the chariot rides and President Laertes' speech, the chariots end back where we started and we were whisked away to the training center. Will and I squeezed into a glass elevator with Dash, Pixie and the stylists, we shot up to the fourth floor with breathtaking speed and the doors opened to reveal a large apartment that makes our train rooms look shabby.

The others had said they wanted to celebrate our smashing success, but I excused myself, saying I was tired and felt like resting. Will seemed content to stay in his costume, and although my costume is the most wonderful thing I have ever worn, I feel a little stiff with my hair all up and my heavy makeup on. Everyone understood and said I should get my rest since training starts tomorrow. I said goodnight and quickly found my room, now I am sitting on the end of my bed, still in complete costume.

I haven't found the energy to undress yet, so I sit on the end of my bed and stare at a spot in the carpet. I absent mindedly twist the small ring on my finger, my mind wandering to home.

I wonder what my family thought of Will and my costumes, did they have hope for us? Or did they think the capitol was turning us into one of them? What did Felix think of my costume I wonder? Did he even recognise me?

I stand up and slowly walk over to the long full-length mirror, staring at the reflection of myself...although it doesn't look like me. I don't know if I can be the lady of the sea, I don't feel special, in fact I feel horribly unlucky.

I reach up and pull the long fastening pin out of my hair, causing the intricate weaves and braids piled high on my head to fall down in a cascade around my shoulders. In a few short minutes I'm running my fingers through my now loose blonde hair, and I watch as some of the glitter rains to the floor. I look back in the mirror. Now I look more like myself. I walk into the bathroom and wash all the makeup off my face, returning to sit on the end of the bed, feeling more relaxed.

"I'm myself now again Felix."  
I murmur under my breath. I rub my thumb against the smooth ring band, and over the small emerald set in the band. Feeling tears building in my eyes, I close them and lay back on the bed. I sit up suddenly as a knock sounds on the door. I sit up quickly and say.

"Yes?"  
The door opens and Will peeks his head through the opening.

"Can I come in?"

I smile and nod. He returns my smile and walks in, closing the door carefully behind him. He walks over to the bed and climbs up next to me. He's out of his costume and wearing a pair of sweatpants and a light sweatshirt. I put my arm around his shoulders and give him a hug.

"Hey buddy, did you want something?"

He shrugs, and rests his head against my shoulder.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

I turn so I'm facing him.  
"Of course I'm alright, you don't need to worry about me."

He nods slowly.

"Yes I do, and you're not alright."

I frown slightly, confused. Before I can say anything he continues.

"I know how awful all of this is for you, well it's awful for all of us. But you have Felix...I know he wanted to marry you, and I also know you wanted to marry him too."

I nod slowly, remaining silent and letting him continue.

"I know this is really hard for you...and I'm sorry."

"Sorry? Sorry for what? This isn't your fault."

Will shrugs.

"Well I'm sorry you were reaped, I'm sorry that you have to go through this."  
I wrap my arms around him and hold him tightly, the tears I had been trying to hold back running down my cheeks.

"Will, oh Will...please don't feel bad for me."

He runs his hand down my hair, laying his head on my shoulder.  
"I have to...you're too busy worrying about me to worry about yourself. Someone has to care about you."

I finally pull away, and he wipes off my tears with a smile.

"I don't like to see you cry, it makes your pretty eyes sad."

I can't help laughing at this and I kiss his forehead.

"Oh Will, I'm the one who's sorry, I'm so sorry that you have to go through this. You deserve a full life, you deserve to find love and have a family, and grow old back home with the one you love."

He shrugs.

"You should have that too."

I shake my head.

"I have Felix, I found love, and you deserve to have what I have...had."

He looks down at the ring on my finger, and rubs his finger against the metal.

"Felix and you should have a family..."

Suddenly I realize what he's hinting at.

"Will...you better not be thinking what I think your thinking."

He smiles at my tangled phrase and puts on his innocent face.

"What do you think I'm thinking?"

He sees my dead serious expression and grows serious himself. I hold both of his hands in mine, and look his straight in the eyes.

"Will...you _have_ to win this. _You_ do...not me."

For the first time during all of this, I see Will get tears in his eyes. Up until now he has always been smiling and joking, even after saying goodbye to our family, during the reaping, everything. Now he is starting to cry.

"Mags..."

I cut him off, tears filling my eyes as well.

"Will, you are going to win this okay?"

He shakes his head slowly, petting my hair with his hand.

"Why do I have to win? Why can't _you_ win? I want you to win."

He sniffs loudly and more tears fall out of his eyes as he blinks. I wipe off his tears quickly and kiss his forehead.

"Because buddy, I'm going to get you home to daddy and Leroy. You have to look after Felix for me okay? Make sure he's doing okay."

Will nods, flinging his arms around my neck and crying on my shoulder. I hold him tightly and we stay like that for a while, just comforting each other as much as we can. Finally Will falls asleep leaning against me, and I don't move for fear of waking him. He needs his sleep tonight, the first day of training is tomorrow.

I must have dozed off because I'm stirred awake as I feel someone's hand on my arm. I blink sleepily and to my great surprise I find Dash standing in front of me, he has his hand on my arm and he's holding a finger to his lips indicating silence.

"Do you want me to take him to his bed?"

He says in a hushed whisper, pointing to Will. I have to think for a moment, clearing the fog from my brain. Finally I nod and Dash gently slides his arms under Will's legs and around his shoulders. Will stirs a little, but doesn't wake up. Dash walks slowly to the door and disappears into the hall. I'm so tired that I nod off again, laying half on and half off the bed.

I don't know how much longer it is when I feel arms slide under my knees and around my shoulders, I feel strong arms lift me, and my head is resting against a beating heart. I relax in the arms and sigh, wondering why I can't hear the ocean.

I'm lain in my bed and I feel the covers pulled over me. A wisp of hair is brushed carefully out of my face, and a hand lingers on my cheek. As it starts to pull away, I reach up and slide my hand into theirs.

"Felix...can't you stay?"

Another hand covers mine, and I feel warm lips pressed against my forehead as he says.

"Not tonight, you need your rest. Goodnight Mags."

Then the lips are gone and the hand sets mine on the bed. I vaguely hear the door click shut, and there's nothing else but peaceful sleep.

The next morning I wake up and for a moment I don't remember where I am, last nights dream still lingering in my memory. I turn the ring on my finger slowly and sigh. Then I remember today is the first day of training, and I'm leaping out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans and a red shirt. I hurry to the dining room and to my relief see I'm not the last person to show up; Dash is vacant from the table. I take my seat next to Will and glance at him quickly, trying to see what mood he's in after last night.

To my great relief he flashes me a big smile and wrinkles his nose.

"Guess what?"

I smile and lean forward confidentially.

"What?"

He drops his voice to a whisper and says.

"We get to wear uniforms."

I laugh.

"Oh really?"

I look up at Pixie whose yellow hair is fashioned into a huge bow on the side of her head. She has a pink dress on, that highlights the fusia flower tattoos that cover her neck and arms. She nods and raises a disapproving eyebrow.

"Yes, I'm afraid they're not very stylish at all! The other tributes won't even recognise you!"

She sounds sincerely disappointed, so I pretend to pout.

"Aw! How horrible! Oh well, we always have the interviews."

Pixie seems to brighten up at this, and smiles as breakfast arrives. After a few minutes of eating, Will notices the absence of our mentor.

"Hey Pixie, where's Dash?"

She continues to eat her breakfast, primly wiping her mouth before saying.

"Oh he's out signing up sponsors for you! After the show you put on last night we have had people scrambling to get to know more about you!"

Will and I exchange excited looks and quickly finish our breakfast.

"Where are our uniforms?"

I ask Pixie as we finish breakfast, she thinks for a moment.

"They should be in your rooms, either on your dresser or your beds!"

Will and I jump out of our seats and dash for our bedrooms.  
"Thanks Pixie!"

I shout back over my shoulder. I find my uniform on my dresser. It's a pair of black pants and short-sleave shirt. I try them on and find that they are a flexible, comfortable material that is fitted but not constricting. A large silver **4** is sewn onto the back of my shirt, indicating my district. I hear a knock on my door and I call out.

"Come in!"

Will enters and walks over, dressed in a uniform identical to mine. He places his hands on his hips and strikes a pose in front of the mirror.

"I look gooood."  
He says with a grin, raising one eyebrow at himself in the mirror. I laugh and poke his shoulder.

"It's just a plain black uniform."

He wiggles his eyebrows at himself as he replies.

"But I really make it look, amazing!"

I ruffle his dark curls and grab his hand.

"Come on little mister ego, we've got to get to training."

He smiles and hops along beside me, hanging onto my hand tightly. We enter the dining room again and Pixie claps her hands happily.

"Oh! You two look so cute! I guess the uniforms don't have to be stylish for you to look good in them!"

I am genuinely touched by this because if there's one thing capitol people care about, it's keeping up with the latest fashion and altering what you look like. For Pixie to say we look good just as ourselves in plain black suits is probably the greatest compliment I've ever gotten.

"Thank you Pixie, I guess we are setting a new fashion trend."

She giggles and hops up, prancing around the table she hugs both of us and then waves us to the elevator.

"Go on! You don't want to be late!"

We reach the doors and I'm about to press the button to call the elevator when the doors open and Dash almost runs into us as he hurries in the apartment. He stops short and looks at us for a minute.

He has dark circles under his eyes, his hair is all messed up and his clothes are wrinkled. His normally bright gray eyes are misty and bloodshot.

"Oh, um...excuse me."

He mumbles quickly before ducking around us and disappearing in the direction of his bedroom. I look after him for a minute, then Will tugs on my hand.  
"come on Mags, we're going to be late."

I turn back to the elevator and walk inside, Will runs in ahead of me; eager to ride the elevator again. I give him the honor of pushing the button that will take us to the training floor.

Once we arrive the doors slide open and we get our first look at the famed training hall. It's a room bigger than any I've ever seen before, full of tables and areas set up called "stations". Each station you can use to train and hone your skills on survival or combat. They have stations for anything and everything you can think of, from plant identification to learning new ways to kill someone.

Most of the tributes are already here, although I notice a few are missing. I feel Will slide his hand into mine as he stares wide-eyed at the many weapon stations. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and give him a smile.

"Don't worry buddy. Stick by me, I'll help you out."

He returns my smile brightly and pulls me out into the enormous room.

We gather with the other tributes around the head trainer who starts telling us the rules and giving us instructions.

"There are stations throughout the room that will help you learn and hone any skill that you will need to survive in the arena. You may visit any station you want and spend as much time as you like at each. Remember, don't ignore the survival stations, countless tributes have focused just on combat and died by not being able to find food. There will be _no_ fighting with the other tributes, any hostile interaction will result in punishment. Lunch will be served at twelve-thirty sharp and training ends at four. You are dismissed."

The volunteers from one and two dash immediately to the weapons stations, some of the other tributes head for a specific station but most of us just stand where we are, scanning the many stations. I look down at Will and squeeze his hand.

"Where do you want to go first?"

Will glances nervously at the volunteers wielding assorted weapons and hacking dummies to pieces, then he looks at me and smiles weakly.

"How about some of the survival stuff? We can try fighting after lunch."

I nod and smile brightly.

"Sounds good buddy. Come on, let's try something we're familiar with first."

I pull him to the rope station where you can learn to tie knots, make snares and traps. Since Will and I have lived our whole lives in District four, we've been raised around ropes and knots. Will brightens immediately when he gets his hands on a length of rope about two feet long. He lets out a happy sigh and starts twisting it into knots.

"I feel like I'm back home."

Will says as he pulls both ends of the rope and the knot unravels. I smile and ask the instructor to show me some simple snares.

"Shouldn't you know all about rope?"

She asks with a little confused laugh. I shake my head with a smile.

"Not exactly, I know about nets and knots, but we don't really have anything to snare in district four."

She smiles and quickly shows me some basic snares that are easy to remember. I practice them for a while, finally getting the hang of it. I thank the instructor and lead Will over to the edible plants station. After a while I realize that Will has a much better memory for plants than I do, he can quickly identify the poisonous ones and pick out the edible ones. The instructor congratulates him on having such a good memory, Will just shrugs modestly with a small smile.

"I didn't do anything to get the good memory, I'm just glad I have it."

We move on to a few other stations before lunch is called and all the tributes are guided into a large cafeteria. Will stays close to me as we make our way across the room to the line of large trays set piled high with food of all kinds. Will grabs a tray and starts ahead of me, I'm about to pick up a tray when a hand slams onto the top tray, there's a ripple of snickers as I jump.

"Hey what do you think you're doing?"

A harsh voice grates. I stare in fear at the tributes from district one and two. The girl from one, I remember her name is Ruby, is the one who has her hand pressed on the pile of trays.

"Mags?"

I hear Will's scared voice behind me, barely above a whisper. Never taking my eyes off Ruby I reach my hand back and give Will a gentle push down the line.  
"Go ahead Will, I'll be there in a minute."

I hear him hesitate before continuing down the line. Ruby still has her hand planted firmly on top of the trays, and she has all the others to back her up. I refuse to be frightened of them, so I take a deep breath and stare coldly back at her.

"So are the volunteers forming a pack?"

I ask. The girl from two crosses her arms and says quickly.

"We're called careers."

"Shut it Suzan!"

Ruby snarls, turning on the girl from two. Then with a flip of her ponytail she turns her attention back on me.  
"Us careers get to go first in line."

She says in a voice that makes me think she's used to getting what she wants. I raise my eyebrows and cross my arms.  
"Oh really? I wasn't made aware of that rule. Probably because you just made it up."

Her honey eyes narrow dangerously and she takes a step forward, standing only several inches in front of me. I will not be intimidated by her, so I stand my ground and return her stare.

"Listen four, we don't have time to mess with weaklings like you, so why don't you just move out of the way?"

I lean forward slightly, and I can't help the cheeky grin that spreads across my face.

"Or you'll do what? I don't know if you heard through your thick skull, but fighting between tributes is forbidden. So if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get my lunch."

I wait for several long seconds, and finally Ruby lifts her hand off the trays with a murderous expression on her face. As I turn to pick up a tray, she leans forward and hisses in my ear.

"Maybe it's forbidden to fight with each other here, but the only reason we're here in the first place is to kill each other in the arena, and when that time comes...I'm gonna make you watch as I cut your precious little brother to bits!"

I feel my body shaking with rage, and Ruby smirks in satisfaction.

"See you back in training."

She spins on her heel and strolls away, the others turning and following her. I guess I know who the leader of that group is. What did they call themselves? The careers. I wonder if they plan on forming an alliance, It's something almost unheard of in the games. Sometimes tributes will form what is called an alliance, which basically means they will be a team in the arena, working together to track down and kill the other tributes, then when there aren't that many tributes left in the arena, they will split up or have it out.

"Mags?"

I feel a small hand on my arm, and I turn down to see Will looking scared after the careers, his tray piled with food.

"What did they want?"

I give him a smile and shrug, turning back to the food line and grabbing a tray.

"They were just trying to scare me."

Will follows me through the line.

"Did they?"

I shake my head.

"Nah, there's just a bunch of bullies."

He smiles and follows me to an empty table in the corner, and slides into the seat across from me. We start eating, staying silent for the most part although I quiz Will on edible plants briefly.

I notice all the careers are sitting together, talking loudly and generally being obnoxious. I notice most of the other tributes are scattered among the many tables, trying to ignore the imposing group in the middle of the hall and refusing to make eye contact with any of the other tributes.

"Hey, look over there."  
Will says quietly, nodding slightly with his head towards a table to our left. I casually look over and see the boy and girl from ten are sitting with the two tributes from seven. Could they be forming an alliance as well? I watch as they talk intently, Patricia; the girl from seven with a mass of tight black curls and brown eyes is casting casual glances at the careers, nudging her district partner with the horrible scars. I notice that his hair is all shaved off, and I can't see his eyes from here.

"What do you think they're doing?"

Will asks quietly as he starts eating again. I shrug, still keeping my eyes trained on the group. Suddenly the boy from ten, the one with black hair and the damaged eye, looks up and notices me staring. He meets my gaze and instead of looking quickly away like most people who make eye contact, he holds my gaze, his dead white eye trained on me. His district partner notices and turns her head, causing her white streaked hair to flip over her shoulder. Now her blue-grey eyes are trained on me as well, and I feel like if she keeps looking at me I'll fall under her spell. So I quickly look away and continue eating.

"Can you see Lola anywhere?"

Will asks suddenly, glancing around the room. I look around for the head of wavy auburn hair and large brown eyes that belong to the little girl, but see nothing.

"No. She might have finished already."

Will nods and finishes his meal, I finish mine as well and gather the trays.

"I'll put these away."

Will nods.  
"Do you want me to go back into the training room?"

I give him a smile and nod.

"Sure, I'll be there in a minute."  
He smiles back and walks towards the doors that lead towards the training room. I walk over to the area for returning the trays, as I slide the dirty trays into the boxlike compartment they suddenly shoot off somewhere.

"District four."  
I freeze momentarily, unsure of who is calling me. I turn around and see the group of tributes from ten and seven.

"Yes?"

The girl from ten answers, and I note again how petite she is.

"I'm Melinda, my district partner is Steel. This is Patricia and Troy. We noticed you eyeing us earlier."  
I shrug.  
"I was just curious if you were forming an alliance."

Steel turns his dead eye on me and a slow smile creeps across his face. When he talks, his voice is low and he draws his words out in a slow drawl.

"An alliance? We were just comparing scars."

The boy from seven, Troy. Chuckles and looks at his arms.

"I've got plenty to compare with."

Patricia glances at the others, then turns to me her tight curls bouncing with every movement of her head.

"We were just talking...you never know what could happen in the arena."  
I nod. Melinda flips her dark, white streaked hair over her shoulder.  
"Hey your district partner, he's your brother right?"

I nod again.

"Man that sucks. Sorry about that."  
I shrug.

"It's not your fault. The odds were just against us I guess."  
Melinda shrugs.

"Yeah I guess."

I look at the odd group for a moment, then say slowly.

"Well, I'd better get back to training."

They all nod and mumble farewell's. As I walk around them, I hear the low drawling voice.

"Oh District four?"

I turn and refuse to flinch under the stare of the dead eye.

"Keep and eye out for those careers."  
He drawls slowly, glancing at the careers as they empty back into the training room. Then his gaze is back on me and his dead eye seems to grow darker.

"They're out to get you, sometimes it's not wise to make enemies before we get in the arena."

I nod and give him a nervous smile.

"Thanks for the advice."  
He doesn't say anything and I move quickly back into the main room.

I locate Will at the obstacale course, and I smile as he climbs and swings around and through the obstacles with ease. He receives the applause of the instructor as he finishes in record time. I walk over and give him a hug.

"That was great Will! You probably broke a record."

He laughs and shrugs.

"You good probably do just as good."

I shake my head.

"No way, I'd never be that good."

He smiles and plants a kiss on my cheek.

"Well you're really good at other things. You don't have to be good at the obstacale course."

I look around at the different stations and nudge Will.

"Where do you want to try next?"

He looks around, then hesitantly he looks up at me with a small smile.  
"Do you think we could try some weapons? We've been doing survival all day, and that's really good but I want to be able to defend myself too."

I give him a smile and a nod.

"Sure. We need to learn how to use at least one weapon."

He smiles and pulls me by the hand to the area marked off for combat training. Will wants to start with some hand to hand, and so he steps out onto a mat and stand opposite to a huge man with bulging muscles. Will looks like an insect compared to him. The instructor shows him a few simple ways to get out of a hold, and soon Will has the man on the floor.

"Wow! How did I do that!"

Will exclaims as he jumps up and down excited. The man chuckles as he gets up and rubs the back of his head.

"Those were simple ways for you to use my weight against me."  
Will laughs and shakes the man's hand.  
"Thank you sir, I'm glad you let me kick your butt."  
The man laughs and shakes his head.

"Well you're welcome."

I learn a few simple protective moves and thank the instructor. Then Will and I move on to weapons. He can't handle anything bigger than a dagger, but he finds out he's pretty skilled with a sling. I try multiple weapons, and still haven't found the right one when I move across several aisles towards the tridents. All of a sudden I hear a scream and as I turn to see what it's about I suddenly hit the ground and see stars.

"Mags!"

I distantly hear a scream, and I think it's Will. I think my eyes are open but I can't see anything except exploding lights, I blink several times and the lights fade into blurry vision. I see a foggy head full of dark curls above me, and I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Mags! Oh gosh Mags! Please, _please_ be okay!"

Will's frantic shouts fade into the blackness.

I hear a loud scream, and my eyes snap open.

"Mags! Oh thank goodness you're awake! Are you okay?"

I blink my eyes several times and frown.

"Will?"

My voice sounds hoarse and distant, and Will's face suddenly materializes. He has tears streaming down his cheeks and blood on his cheek. I jolt awake and try to sit up, fear filling me instantly.

"Will! What happened? Are you okay?"

Suddenly pain explodes across my head and I scream as the pain registers. I feel Will's hands gripping my left arm tightly.

"Mags don't try to move please! You've been hurt, they're taking you back upstairs now, just hold on until we get there."  
His words are confusing me, and my head hurts unbearably. I close my eyes again and vaguely hear the elevator doors beep. After that is only uncomfortable blackness and pain.

I don't know how much longer it is later when I wake up, I don't open my eyes at first, trying to identify where I am. I feel blankets on top of me, and I'm lying on something soft and comfortable. Suddenly I realize where I am and I open my eyes.

My hunch was right, I am in my room on the fourth floor in the training center. I'm lying flat on my back covered in blankets, for I second I can't remember what happened, then a searing pain shoots through my head and I remember. I stiffly try and sit up, wincing as my head starts throbbing horribly.

"Ohhh, my head."

I moan as I sit up. I reach up to touch my forehead and find a thick bandage circling my head. I frown, trying to remember what exactly happened. All I remember was training with Will, then there was pain.

"Mags?"

I look towards the door and find Dash standing in the doorway with his hand on the knob.

"Dash..."

He walks in and sits on the edge of my bed, his face full of concern.

"How are you feeling?"

I frown slightly and shrug.

"I don't know...okay I guess. What happened?"

He puts his hand gently under my chin and tilts my head slightly examining my bandaged forehead.

"During training a knife throw went wrong and it grazed your forehead, it was spinning when it hit so the hilt hit your head as well."

I wince as he gently touches my bandage, he quickly pulls his hand away.

"I'm sorry."  
I shake my head slightly.

"No it's okay. Who threw the knife?"

He hesitates, finally saying.

"Ruby."

I nod.

"Of course she did. What happened after I went down?"

He shrugs.  
"When you showed up here, I hurried down to find out what happened."

"Thank you."  
He shrugs.

"It's my job as your mentor. Anyway, there was this huge argument going on between Ruby, the trainers and some of the gamemakers who saw it. They were trying to figure out what happened. Ruby was trying to defend herself, saying that it was an accident, the trainers who saw it thought it was more intentional."

I gently rub my head, avoiding the wounded part.

"How bad is my head?"

He shrugs.

"It's a pretty bad cut, but they're sending for some special medicine that will speed up the healing process. You'll be fine before..."

I nod.

"Before the arena."

He nods slowly. I give a tight smile as I say in mock optimism.

"Well it's good to know I'll be fine for my death."

His hand lingers on my chin and he gently rubs his thumb against my cheek.

"Hey, don't think like that."

I tense slightly, and he drops his hand. Shifting awkwardly.

"Um...well, are you feeling better?"

I nod stiffly.

"Yeah, I'm feeling much better, just a little sore."

He nods.

"Good. Well I'll go tell Will. He's been worried sick about you, literally sick. He's thrown up several times."

Worry replaces all my pain and discomfort and I push him slightly towards the door.

"Go, go! Please bring him, I need to see him, I need to let him know I'm alright."

He smiles and walks quickly to the door.

"I'll be back soon."

In a little less than a minute I hear a happy shout and pounding footsteps coming my way. In several seconds Will bursts through the door and runs over to my bed. Flinging his arms around my neck, he sobs and holds me tightly.

"Mags, oh Mags I was so worried! Are you alright? Please be alright!"

I hug him tightly and rock him slowly back and forth.

"I'm okay, I would never leave you buddy."

He's holding me so tightly I can hardly breathe, but I don't tell him to loosen his grip, and I only tighten mine.

"We're going to be fine."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone!**

**I was very happy to actually receive some reviews this time! :)**

**I hope you all will continue to review and I encourage those who didn't to please do.**

**So the story is progressing kind of fast but that's a good thing because I'm thinking the arena is going to drag on for a while, lots of exciting things coming!**

**How are you guys liking all the characters and plot so far? Please feel free to drop a review or PM me with any ideas or comments, I love hearing your feedback.**

**Oh! Yes! I forgot to mention that my friend Emma Lane has finished catching up on the Finnick story, and we are preparing to start Annie's story! Yay! So if you have read or are interested in reading that stay tuned and I'll let you know more info when I find out myself. I'm very excited to start that and I think it's going to be really good. (two minds are better than one they always say)**

**So anyway, here's the chapter and I hope you all like it :)**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Training and confusion.**

After laying around for an hour or so, I become restless and get out of bed.

I'm still a little dizzy from my wound, but after holding onto the wall and taking a few deep breaths I am able to walk without swaying. I am still in my training uniform, so I quickly change into some soft grey pants and a black long sleeve shirt. I slowly make my way into the large main room and find Will, Pixie and the stylists sitting in the lounge area talking quietly.

"Don't whisper on my account, I probably can't hear you from my room anyway."  
I say with a smile as I walk over and sit next to Will on a deep purple couch. Pixie smiles sympathetically.

"How are you feeling?"

I smile weakly and shrug.

"As well as can be expected."

Will snuggles up to my side and lays his head on my shoulder.

"I'm glad you're okay."  
I laugh slightly and kiss the top of his head.

"Yeah, me too."

Bojo yawns and stretches.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I'm going to go hit the sack."

Jix hops off the couch and claps her hands several times.

"Yes I'm going to get some rest too! Bojo and I have lots to do for your interview outfits!"

I wince slightly at her high-pitched squeak, and ask quickly.

"Our interview outfits? Aren't the interviews four days away?"

Bojo nods.

"Yes. Goodnight."

He and Jix exit without any further explanation. I sigh and lean against the back of the couch.

"So after I collapsed what exactly happened at training? Isn't it a little unfair that Will and I missed half a day's training?"

Pixie has no idea what happened, and suddenly I realize the absence of our mentor.

"Where's Dash?"

"Right here."

I hear his deep voice behind me, and I twist my head around to see him walking in the room, he flashes me a grin and plops into a chair across from me.

"Did you miss me?"

I shoot him a look as I reply.  
"I just wanted to know what happened after I passed out. With training I mean."

He waves a hand dismissively as he says.

"Oh that, well the rest of the day was called off for training, something about it not being fair to you and Will."

I nod. At least the other tributes won't have that advantage over us.  
"What about Ruby? Did the gamemakers and trainers decide if the throw was intentional or not?"

Dash nods.  
"She will be sitting out on training tomorrow, that is her punishment."

I can't help feeling a little smug about this, missing an entire day of training can be devastating to your chances of winning. Plus with only two days of training left, she could use all the time she can get.

"So tomorrow is just a normal day of training, then the next day is the private sessions?"

Dash yawns as he replies.

"Yep. Day after tomorrow the gamemakers will call you in one by one after lunch and you will have several minutes to impress them, after that you will return to your floor and relax until the scores are released."

I think for a moment.

"What happens the day after that? The interviews?"

He shakes his head.

"Nope, tomorrow Pixie and I will be coaching you on the interviews. Presentation is Pixie's department, and content is mine."

Will's eyes open wide.  
"And that's going to take all day?"

He nods with a smile.  
"Trust me, it's harder than it sounds. The next day will be spent getting you ready for the interviews, and then the actual interviews."  
He doesn't continue, and I glance at Will as I say.

"And after that is the games."  
Dash doesn't say anything, and Will stares at the floor. Pixie breaks the oppressive silence with a bright exclamation.

"Why don't we discuss training over dinner? I'm sure you all are hungry and maybe Dash can coach you some more about tomorrow."

I'm grateful for this because I am hungry, and anything to distract Will and I from thinking about the games is better than sitting around worrying about it.  
"Oh good I'm starving!"

Will says as he jumps off the couch and dashes to the dining room. I chuckle and shake my head.

"I swear he could eat all day and never be full. Never gains a pound though."

Pixie hops off after Will and I'm left with Dash. He doesn't seem overly motivated to go into the dining room and eat, and I'm starting to feel dizzy again.

"So besides the knife to the head, how was training?"

Dash asks with a smirk. I don't detest him as much as I did when we first met, but that doesn't mean I'm friendly towards him.

"Well besides the knife to the head, not bad. Will is great at plant identification, he's really fast and got through the obstacle course in record time."

Dash nods.

"What about fighting? Did you manage any of that before the knife?"

I think for a moment, the events of earlier still a little hazy.

"Um...oh yeah! He's really good with a sling, hits the target every time. He also learned a few moves to break a hold in hand to hand."

Dash nods again with a small smile.  
"Good. What about you?"

I hadn't even been thinking of what I had done in training, and now I find I'm struggling to remember.

"I learned a few simple snares...some defensive hand to hand combat. I don't really remember anything else."  
Dash frowns suddenly.

"What about a weapon?"

I shake my head.

"I was looking for the right one when the knife came out of nowhere."  
He thinks for a moment then says.

"Tomorrow I want you to find a weapon that you're good at. Will needs to concentrate on how to survive, building a fire, making and finding shelter, that sort of thing."

I nod slowly.

"Alright. Are you going to be joining us for dinner?"

He glances towards the door leading to the dining room, thinking for a moment.

"I guess so, I'm not very hungry but I need to talk strategy with the two of you."

I nod and attempt to stand up, halfway off the couch I have a major dizzy spell and fall back onto the couch holding my head. Dash is at my side in an instant.

"Are you alright?"

He asks quickly, his hand on my arm. I nod and wait for my vision to clear.  
"Yeah I'm fine, just a dizzy spell."

I take a deep breath and blink several times.  
"Here let me help you."  
Dash says, offering his hand. I hesitate, not really wanting to accept his help. But I told myself I have to be civil to him because he could mean life or death to Will in the arena. So I take his hand and allow him to help me up. To my displeasure he doesn't release my hand after I'm standing, in fact he wraps his arm around my waist.

"Don't wanting you to fall and hurt that pretty head...again."  
I try to give him a glare but it comes out as more of a wince as my head starts to hurt again. He walks me to the dining room, and I grudgingly am glad for his help as the room starts to spin. He sets me down next to Will and takes his seat across from me. Pixie is sitting next to him and she gives me a sympathetic look.  
"Feeling dizzy?"

I nod with a small smile.  
"A little."

Dash calls the server as Pixie replies with a bright smile.  
"Oh don't worry! The special medicine should arrive soon! Can't have you collapsing every few minutes now can we?"

I laugh slightly and shake my head.  
"No, that wouldn't be good."  
Will pats the top of my hand and gives me a sad puppy look.

"Poor Mags, all dizzy like an old lady."

I stick my tongue out at him and he laughs. The sound automatically cheering me up.

"What sounds good to you guys?"

Dash asks as the server arrives. Will and I shrug.  
"Just bring us a large selection, lots of varieties please."  
The server nods and exits the room. The rest of the evening is spent talking strategies and training instruction. To my great relief, Will pays close attention to everything that Dash says, storing it into his little head to use when it's needed. After dinner we move to the main room and talk a little more, Dash decides to turn on the TV and see what's playing on the channel dedicated solely to the games.

"Well, well, well!"

Estevan Gypsy is dressed in a dark red suit today, although it still has his signature silver accents. He gives his half sided grin to the cameras and continues.  
"We had a little action in training today!"

The screen cuts to footage of us training and I gasp in surprise.  
"Are they allowed to do that?"

I ask Dash quickly. He shrugs as he replies.

"It wouldn't be airing if they couldn't, don't worry they won't show the tributes strongest skill."

True to his word it only shows us vaguely doing random things. Then the screen switches to footage of me lying on the ground. I gasp slightly as I see the long gash across my forehead and the dark purple bruise.

"Oh! That's gotta hurt! Miss Flint was accidentally caught in the line of fire and received a nasty gash across her head. Training was called off early and as far as I know miss Flint is doing alright. Training is to resume as normal tomorrow with the exception of one tribute who has to sit out as a penalty."

Here he leans towards the camera and says confidentially.  
"I would tell you names if I wasn't sworn to secrecy."

Then he straightens back up and finishes with.

"Well that's all we'll see of our tributes until the interviews, maybe we'll find out more about this little incident than!"

Dash switches the screen off and drops the remote on the coffee table.

"Well, that's not good."

I rub my bandage as I ask.

"Why isn't that good?"

He shrugs.

"It may discourage people from sponsoring you, now that you are already injured."  
I snort in disgust and cross my arms. Will gives me a smile and kisses my cheek.

"That's okay Mags, if I get any sponsor gifts you can share them with me."  
I smile and give him a hug.  
"Thanks buddy, but I'm sure I'll be fine. People are just underestimating us."

Dash gives me a look behind Will's back, that looks like he's trying to say. "not that you would want sponsors anyway." I shoot him a glare in reply. He rolls his eyes and turns his attention to Pixie.

"Hey Pixie, did you want to start talking about what to plan for the interviews?"

She looks confused, glancing between Dash and I as she stutters slightly.

"Already? But...It's several days away..."

Dash shrugs.  
"Whatever, just asking."

Will yawns and stretches slightly.

"Ooh, I'm a little sore from training. I think I'm going to go to bed early. Need my rest for tomorrow after all."

I give him a hug and kiss goodnight.

"Yes get lots of rest. I'll see you in the morning."

He smiles and waves as he disappears to his room. After several moments of awkward silence I declare that I am going to go to bed as well. Pixie bids me goodnight, exclaiming that she'll get Will and I up bright and early tomorrow for a big breakfast. I give her a smile and thank her, then turn and exit to my room, completely ignoring Dash.

Once in my room I change into a pair of long fleece pants and a soft tank top. Sleep eludes me for a while, so I busy myself with clicking random buttons in the room. Some prove entertaining, while others startle me with sudden noises. Several I find alert different servants, and I apologize to them quickly, blushing with embarrassment. A large panel of buttons control the large window in my room that takes up almost an entire wall. The window can be transformed into a screen, switching to different scenic views of the capitol. Then it switches to a large meadow, stretching as far as the eye can see. A breeze blows through the meadow, causing the long golden stalks of grain to ripple. the effect seems so real I almost feel like I can reach out and touch it.

I stare at this for a moment, realizing this must be what District nine; the grain district looks like. I find that there is a scene for every District. A thick forest for District seven, peaceful rolling hills with dotted woods for District twelve. An orchard for District eleven. Lots of fenced in fields for District ten. I flip through the rest, freezing when I come across a tranquil beach. The sun shining on the sand and the ocean gently breaking along the shore. I know by the level of the tide that it is around two o'clock. The sound of the waves breaking on the shore and the distant cries of sea birds bring tears to my eyes.

I stand up and walk slowly up to the scene, it's so real! It looks like I could step onto the sand and run to the sea. But I know I will never see my dear ocean again. This causes the tears to flow down my cheeks as I press my hand against the unforgiving glass, I can't help thinking I'm like a fish stuck in a glass bowl, free to look out into the world, but never free to go into it. I press my forehead against the glass as well, my shoulders shaking as I sob.

I hear a knock on the door, and run to the bathroom, quickly wiping the tears off my face. I walk to the door and open it, growing irritable when I see Dash standing there.  
"What do you want?"

I ask a little shortly. He holds up a small container.

"Your medicine arrived."

I swing the door open and walk back into the room. He walks in after me and asks.

"Are you okay?"

I spin back to him and glare.

"Yes I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?"

He raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

"You've been crying."  
This just infuriates me more, and I raise my voice to a shout.

"Well It's none of your business! Maybe I'm crying because I have been ripped from my family! And I'm never going to see them again! I'm never going to see the ocean again! Or maybe because I wanted to have a family and I don't know what Felix is going to do without me! For all you know I could just be crying because I feel like it! Did you ever think that maybe the reason I shut myself up in here early every night is because It physically hurts me to think the last thing I'm ever going to see is the arena? The brutal godless place that is designed just for children to murder each other!"

In the beginning of my rant the tears started to flow again, and halfway through my voice started to choke. The entire time Dash just stands there looking at me, letting me vent. Finally I take a deep breath and let out a small sound between a sob and a choke.

"So Dashing, maybe I'm crying because I don't want to die, but I know I have to."

His eyes flicker briefly before he blinks and glances at the window. He seems to realize what set me off and slowly walks over to the panel. He presses a button and it switches off, he must work the window a lot to know which button is which.

"Why don't you sit down and I'll fix your head up."

He says gently. His lack of anger at my outburst frustrates me, and I storm over to the bed and sit down hard on the edge. He walks over and sits beside me, carefully untying my bandage and unwrapping it.

"Turn towards me please."

I obey sullenly, feeling drained after my shouting. He tilts my head gently towards him and examines the wound.

"It's already looking better, the swelling has gone down and the bleeding stopped."

He says half to me and half to himself. He unscrews the top of the small container and pops it off, revealing a strange blue gelatin. He scoops some out with his index finger and very gently applies it to my wound. The second it touches my skin, the pain disappears and a soothing cool sensation seeps into my skin.

"This will speed up the healing process and stop the pain."  
He explains as he gently rubs it into my skin. I close my eyes at the relief of the pain disappearing and the soothing effect it has.

"There you go. Now for a clean bandage."

He quickly wraps a fresh bandage around my forehead and fastens it securely without being tight.

"All finished. Feel better now?"

I nod, sniffing as I turn to look at the window.

"I'm sorry...I just needed to vent."

I say quietly. He doesn't say anything for a while, and I turn to look at him.

"You just happened to be here at the wrong time."  
He shrugs.

"I'm glad I could help."  
I laugh slightly, and he grins, not like his usual flirty arrogant grin, this is more of a boyish friendly grin and it's nice to see a change.

"Well thanks..."

I trail off.

"Was it true?"

He asks suddenly, I frown slightly.

"Was what true?"

He looks at the window.

"What you said, is it true?"

I think for a moment, finally saying under my breath.

"Yes."  
He turns to me.

"Mags, you don't have to die."

I turn to him and feel tears returning to my eyes as I say barely above a whisper.

"Yes...I do."

Dash nods.  
"Because of Will."

I nod, swallowing hard and not wanting to start crying in front of him again.

"Mags...he's not trying to win either."

My eyes open wide in shock and I stare at him for a minute.

"What?"

He nods.

"He told me he wants you to win."

I frown and shake my head.

"But...no...that's not possible...we just talked the other day..."

Dash holds my hand and meets my green eyes with his grey ones.  
"He told me when you were resting. He doesn't want you to worry about him, he says that everyone needs you more than they need him."

This brings a sob to my throat and I blink away the tears.

"No! That's not true."

Dash shrugs.

"You are both trying to get the other to win, both of you can't make it."

This brings the tears and Dash puts his arms around me, letting me cry on his shoulder. I don't even care that its him, what does it matter anyway?

"Dash...you have to get him out alive."

He doesn't say anything so I pull away and look him hard in the eye with fierce intensity.  
"You _have_ to get him out alive."

He nods.

"I will."

I grip his hand so tightly my knuckles turn white.  
"Promise me."

He hesitates, then nods slowly.  
"I promise."

This relieves me, and I don't know why but I trust that he will keep his promise.

"Thank you."

I say quietly. He nods.

"I should go...you need your rest."  
I take a deep breath and nod.

"I'll see you tomorrow."  
He walks to the door and I stop him as I call.

"Dash?"

He turns to look at me.

"Thank you..."  
He nods with a small smile and walks out, closing the door quietly behind him. I slide under the covers and cry myself to sleep.

In the morning, true to her word, Pixie is knocking on the door trilling on about what an exciting day we have ahead of us! I call out that I'll be there in a minute and hear her prance away in those crazy shoes. I drag myself out of bed and pull on some clothes, then I walk into the bathroom and wash my face, being careful to avoid the fresh bandage.

I find everyone in the dining room, already seated to the large steaming trays of food wafting delicious smells throughout the room. I slide into the seat next to Will and start piling my plate. Ignoring the chatter of conversation I concentrate on eating and let my mind wander.

"Mags?"

I start as Will shakes my arm lightly, I turn to him and raise my eyebrows questioningly.  
"Hmm?"

He gives me a small smile and says.

"I asked if you were feeling better."

I return his smile weakly and nod.

"Yes much better."

He nods his head still smiling.  
"Good."  
I finish my breakfast and push my plate away slightly, leaning back in my chair and staring into space.

"Mags!"

I blink several times and look up.

"What?"

Dash is grinning slightly as he repeats himself.

"I said we should take off your bandage and see how the medicine is working."

I nod.

"Alright. Sorry I zoned out."

Pixie says quickly.

"Maybe it's you head wound."  
I give her a smile and nod.

"Yes maybe."  
Dash has left his seat and walked around the table to me, he kneels beside me and unties the bandage.

"How's it look?"

I ask hesitantly. Dash smiles as he looks at my wound.

"Well It's just a thin scratch now."

Will clambers out of his seat and peers at my head.

"Wow, that medicine must be magic."  
Dash laughs and shakes his head.

"Not exactly. I think you could do without a bandage today, we'll put one on tonight when we apply more medicine."

I nod.  
"Thanks."  
He shrugs and returns to his seat. Will continues to stare at my head and I laugh.  
"It doesn't look that bad does it?"

He smiles and shakes his head.

"Not at all. We should get to training, don't want to be late."

He and I quickly change into our freshly washed uniforms and ride the elevator down to the training room. Most of the tributes are here, and the Careers shoot me dirty glances as Will and I walk in the room.

"They don't look to happy."  
Will says with a smirk. I smile and whisper to him.  
"They're probably just angry I got their leader in trouble."  
Will whispers back.  
"It was her own fault."  
I chuckle and pull him towards the survival stations.

"Hey buddy, Dash said you should learn some more survival stuff, and I need to work on weapons so is it okay if we split up for a little bit?"

He thinks for a minute and then nods.  
"Sounds good, I'll see you around."

I smile and give him a hug before walking over to the weapons stations. I ignore the ones I tried yesterday, and experiment with throwing axes. I'm not horrible, but I'm far from good, I can hit the target if it's thirty feet away, but it doesn't even stick into the dummy. I'd be lucky if it gave the tribute a scratch.

I growl in frustration and fling another axe at the dummy. I shake my head as the axe sticks into the dummies stomach, figures when I just fling it randomly it sticks in the target. Suddenly several knives wiz out of nowhere and land on either side of my axe, grazing the metal of the axe blade with a sharp sound.

"Maybe you should try your hand at knives."  
I resist the urge to shudder as the low drawl echoes out behind me. I turn to see Steel looking at me, his black waves falling into his face slightly.

"I'm not very good at throwing weapons."  
He shrugs and walks over beside me, balancing a knife on the tip of his finger.

"With knives, it's all in the wrist. You just flick like so."  
He casually flings the knife into the dead center of the dummy. My jaw drops in surprise and I congratulate him. He shrugs.

"Everyone seems surprised. Guess they think my eye is a disadvantage."

He turns his dead eye on me and continues in his slow drawn out way.

"See, the thing is most people don't know I can still see out of it."

I raise my eyebrows in surprise.

"Really?"

He nods.

"Not details, but I can see shadows. With knives...that's all you need."

He flips his final knife right beside the other with hardly a glance at the dummy. Then he stalks off to join Patricia at the camouflage section. I look at the knives embedded into the dummy and decide that they're not my weapon. I eventually find that I am fairly good with a lance, the small thin spear that can be thrown or used in hand to hand. We use them sometimes to spear fish back home, although tridents are used more. I can't wield a trident though, they're too heavy.

I practice with the lance for a while until I am confident I can protect myself with it. Then I go to look for Will. I find him at the fire building station and smile slightly as I see who he's with. Lola the little girl from eight is showing him some tips on how to get the spark to catch.

"You do it like this see? Then the flame catches."

Her voice is so quiet and sweet, it sounds musical.

"You're really good at this."  
Will says with admiration. Lola smiles modestly and shrugs.

"My dad taught me how to use the fireplace back home."

I stand behind Will and nudge him slightly with my foot.  
"Looks like you've got a friend."  
He blushes slightly.

"It's Lola right?"

She nods and stands up. I offer my hand and she shakes it shyly.

"I'm Mags, Will's older sister."  
She nods.  
"I knew you were his sister. Although no one really seems to know your name."  
I laugh.  
"Oh right, I'm known as the lady of the sea right?"

She nods.  
"You were so wonderful at the chariot rides. You looked like a goddess."

I laugh and shrug.

"Well you can thank my stylist for that, as you can see I look nothing like that."  
She shakes her head.  
"Oh no, you're beautiful, you don't need fancy makeup and dresses to see that."  
I feel pain shoot through my chest. Why did this poor little girl get reaped? She is so sweet and caring.

"Well, I should go."  
She says quietly, then she gives us a small wave and moves on to the next station.

"Mags?"

I hear Will say quietly. I look down at him.

"What?"

He bites his lip, then finally says.

"If something happens to me...would you look after Lola? She doesn't have anyone to care for her."  
I blink back the tears and nod.

"I promise."

He gives me a sad smile and hugs me.  
"Thanks."

A little while later I find myself working at a random survival station. This station sets random objects we might find in the arena such as; twigs, leaves, vines, rocks of all shapes and sizes, roots, small bones and anything else you can think of. The point of this station is to see what the tribute can do with seemingly useless items such as these. I absent mindedly start making fish hooks out of practically every object on the table. This keeps me preoccupied for a while and relaxes me. When I was a little girl I remember my mother saying I could make anything into a fish-hook. This reminds me of her and so I entertain myself there for a while.

"Looks like you've got someone's attention."  
I hear a smooth voice say behind me, I turn around to see Patricia's brown eyes trained on me. She smiles and walks up to me, looking over my work.

"Wow, that's really impressive."

She says with surprise as she sees the many fish hooks. I shrug.

"It's nothing really, just something I used to do when I was little. What did you mean when I had someone's attention?"

She nods her head in the direction of one of the raised platforms the gamemakers use to observe us. I look up and blink in surprise as I see a small boy watching me.

"Who is that?"

Patricia shrugs.  
"Head gamemaker's kid. I hear his name is Coriolanus, weird name huh?"

I shrug, still looking at the little boy. His hair is almost white it's so blonde, his frame is small and delicate, and if it wasn't for his eyes he would look small and innocent.

His eyes...from here I can only tell they're a light color, but they look so...snakelike. That's the only way I can describe them, they're narrow and cold, looking at me with a fierce intensity. Those eyes don't belong on a little boy, they belong on a murder or a snake.

"How old is he?"

Patricia glances up at Coriolanus.  
"He was born a year before the games were instituted so that makes him eleven."

He still has his snake eyes trained on me, and it's making me nervous. How could a little boy look so evil? Maybe it's just my nerves getting the better of me.

"Why do you think he's here?"

Patricia shrugs.

"It's rumored he's obsessed with the games, watches them all the time. Well I'll see you around."

She walks off, leaving me alone under the piercing stare of the young boy. Suddenly uncomfortable I walk over to join Will at the camouflage station.  
The rest of training went uneventfully, although I noticed the tributes from seven and ten were still sticking together. At lunch I invited Lola to sit with us, and she agreed happily.

After training we returned to our floor and reported everything that happened to Pixie and Dash. Dash seemed unhappy that we had befriended Lola, but he doesn't say anything about it. He gives us some brief instructions on what to work on tomorrow, then disappears into his room. I think about how tomorrow after lunch the gamemakers will be calling us into the training room one by one to evaluate our skills and then later award us a score from between one to twelve.

The training scores can be monumental in getting sponsors, and the better the score, the higher the chances are of winning. Although sometimes that isn't the case.

After talking a little bit with Will and Pixie I decide to go to sleep, using my head as an excuse to turn in early. I change into pajamas and lay on my bed for a while, staring at the ceiling. For some reason the head gamemakers son, Coriolanus, has been haunting me. I feel like his eyes are still on me, staring into my mind. I shudder and roll over, stretching my arms above my head and let out a long sigh. There's a knock on the door and since I don't feel like getting up I just shout.  
"Come in!"

I hear the door open and someone walks in.

"Um...you feeling alright."  
I resist the urge to groan as Dash's voice reaches my ears.

"No...go away."

I feel the bed tilt slightly as he sits on the edge.

"Is it your head? Because I have the medicine with me."  
I sigh and sit up.

"No It's not my head, I'm just tired."

He holds up the medicine and a roll of fresh bandages.

"I'll make it fast."  
I sigh in resignation and slide over to him. He gently applies more medicine to my wound and wraps it up.

"There we go. That wasn't so bad was it?"

I roll my eyes and shrug.  
"I guess not."

He grins, then he lifts his hand to my face.

"You have some medicine on your cheek...hang on."  
He uses his thumb to wipe the smudge off, then his hand lingers on my cheek. My mind flashes back to the dream I had several nights ago, when Felix tucked me in bed...wait a minute.

"Dash?"

"Hmm?"

"The other night when you took Will to bed...did you come back?"

He nods slowly.

"Why?"

The word is half out of my mouth when he leans forward and kisses me. For a moment, I'm too shocked to react. When the shock wears off however I push him away from me and stand up, stepping away from the bed as I shout.  
"What the &#$$ was that?!"

He stands up quickly and flushes slightly.

"Mags...I..."

I really explode now.  
"How _dare_ you kiss me!"

He shrugs, becoming defensive.

"I thought you liked me."

I'm so shocked that I can't say anything for a moment, finally shouting.  
"Like you? Where on earth did you get that notion? Last I recall I didn't like you at all!"

He's getting angry now too.  
"Well obviously you don't know how you act."

I walk up until I'm standing a few inches in front of him.

"Excuse me? Just what are you implying?"

He shrugs.  
"You just act different around me that's all. And the other night you asked me to stay."  
I narrow my eyes and hiss angrily.  
"I thought I was dreaming. I thought you were Felix!"

He laughs slightly.

"Oh right, your one true love."  
This is the straw that broke the camels back. I slap him hard across the face. He gasps in shock and holds a hand to his reddening cheek.

"How dare you. You are a selfish !#$%^&%, who cares only about himself! And you should be ashamed of yourself for taking advantage of me."

His eyes soften, and he looks like he's about to say something, but that's the last thing I want to happen. I point to the door, and drop my voice to a dangerous tone.

"Get. _Out_."

He hesitates, finally turning around and walking out, making sure to slam the door. I throw myself on the bed, stick my head in a pillow and scream as loud as I can. How could he do that? He knows I'm in love with Felix, he knows I'm going to die in the arena, why on earth would he do something like that? I feel so violated and used, and I never want to see him again.

I flip onto my back and smolder at the ceiling. I hope I die in the arena just to aggravate him. Ugh! How could he do something like that? And to think he had the gal to say he thought _I_ liked _him?_ That's a laugh, I've only been civil to his flirtatious attitude and boyish charm because he's going to be the one looking after my brother when I die.

Although I do remember feeling sorry for him when he told me about his games, although he could have just been making that up. Curse his stupid grins and flirty looks. For all I care he can go crawl in a hole and die. How could someone even be that conceited?

Tears start running down my cheeks out of frustration and anger, and I end up crying myself to sleep again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hello!**

**"Happy unbirthday to yoouuuuu!"**

**Two reasons why I did that. One; I have no idea if it's anyone's birthday today, (but if it is, happy birthday!) and two; 1,000 points to anyone who knows what that's from! :)**

**So I'm wondering what you all thought of that last chapter...I've gotten some reviews from people going fancrazy over Mags/Dash as a couple :P To all those people shipping Mags and Dash as a couple I have to tell you that...**

**Actually I don't have to tell you anything! Bwahahahah! You'll just have to keep me appeased with reviews and in due time you'll see what I have planned for the story ;) Sorry but I am the writer and I have *THE POWER* I can change or twist anything I want! (no I am not power crazy)**

**Anyway! So here is the chapter, and I hope you all like the rest of the story!**

**PS: sorry for not updating for a while, been busy and procrastinating :P**

* * *

**Chapter Seven: As if I didn't have enough problems.**

The next morning, I wake up feeling worn out and bitter. I guess crying yourself to sleep affects your rest during the night, and as if I didn't have enough problems, this afternoon we will be having our private sessions with the gamemakers and receiving our training scores. Even though I don't intend to win, I need a good training score because that will encourage sponsors to sign up, and the longer I'm alive, the longer Will is alive.

I'm hoping for at least a six; not low enough to be written off, and not high enough to attract any more attention from the careers. I'm hoping Will gets a high score, even though the capitolites already love him, it's going to take more than a cute face to convince some sponsors.

Suddenly there's a knock on the door and I hear Pixie's high-pitched trill telling me it's time for breakfast. I shout back that I'll be in the dining room in a minute, and flop back on the bed as I hear her heels click off down the hall. I don't want to get up, I don't want to see Dash, I don't want to go train, I don't want to face the careers again, and I most definitely don't want to perform in front of the gamemakers...and I don't want to see Dash.

I still can't believe what he did last night. How could he be so insensitive? He probably acted hurt and scarred when we were alone just to make me feel sorry for him. I bet he made up the story about his games just to make him look vulnerable, then swooped in when I let my guard down. Ugh! I hope he crawls in a hole and dies.

I think about this for a minute, and take it back. Father always said I had a temper, although usually I only get mad about the right things. "Even though your anger is understandable, that doesn't justify a temper tantrum." I can hear his slightly amused rebuke in my head, and sigh heavily. "Take a few deep breaths and try putting yourself in the other persons shoes." I think about Dash, victor for five years, the first victor for district four, all those years to be influenced by the capitol...maybe he just didn't think about my feelings...nope. It's not working, I'm still mad.

I roll out of bed and, not bothering to change out of my pajamas or brush my hair, I walk out into the hall and make my way into the dining room. I walk in and Will twists in his seat, the bright smile on his face fading into amused shock.

"Morning Mags! What do you...whoa...what happened to you?"

I give him a look and sit down next to him, slumping in my seat and staring at the table cloth.

"I didn't feel like changing."

I say sourly. Will giggles slightly and picks up a strand of my tangled hair.

"You didn't even brush your hair."  
I cross my arms and glower at the silverware an avox has just placed in front of me. Will drops my hair and decides to leave me alone, getting the hint that I don't feel like talking. Him and Pixie start chatting away about something or other as Dash enters the room. I allow myself one quick glance and smirk inwardly with satisfaction as I see his rumpled clothes, bed head and the dark circles under his eyes. Looks like I'm not the only one who had a rough night. Serves him right. He even has a slight bruise on his cheekbone where I slapped him.

"Dash! You too? What is this; come to breakfast looking like a barbarian morning?"

Will giggles at Pixie's aghast exclamation, and Dash just gives her a sarcastic grin.

"Mags isn't dressed either."  
He says defensively. I refuse to look at him as I mutter darkly.

"It's none of your business what I choose to do. I have the right to make my own decisions."

This comment runs deeper than breakfast attire, this is a stab at him about last night. He looks rather guiltily at the table, and there's an awkward pause.

"Breakfast is here!"

Will's happy cry breaks the silence, but there's still tension in the air all during breakfast. Pixie noticed and nervously babbled on and on about any little thing she can think of to keep a steady stream of conversation going. Dash comments now and then, but I remain silent as I take my frustration out on my food.

"You two should go get ready...training is going to start soon and you don't want to be late! Last day and all that, need all the time you can get."

Pixie says relieved as she waves Will and I off to our rooms. I stand up and stomp out of the room. Will runs up to me as I enter the hall and grabs my hand.

"Mags?"

I stop and look down at him.

"Yeah?"

I ask a little stiffly. He hesitates and then smiles.

"Don't frown...your face could freeze like that."

I can't help smiling at this. I used to tell him that all the time when he was little. He brightens up as he sees my smile and kisses my hand.

"There's my pretty sister."  
I bend down and kiss the top of his head.

"Go get dressed, we're going to be late for training."  
He releases my hand and dashes off to his room. I quickly enter my room and change into my freshly cleaned training uniform, then I meet Will out in the hall and we walk together to the main room. To my annoyance, Dash is hanging around the elevator, blocking our path. When he sees us he stops pacing and stands directly in front of the elevator doors.

"Mags, Will. I need to talk to you really quick."

Will speeds up, while I actually slow down slightly, dreading having to talk to him. Finally I'm standing in front of him and next to Will, he hesitates for a moment then says quickly.

"During the private sessions I want you to show the gamemakers everything you have to offer, not just fighting but the survival stuff too. Will, concentrate on your speed and agility, show them how hard you can be to catch and let them know you won't be easy to take down."

Will nods and strikes a pose.

"I'll show them my ninja-like abilities and my sharp slinging eye."  
Dash grins and ruffles his curls.  
"Thatta boy."

His grin fades as he turns to me.  
"Mags...show them your survival skills, impress them with the lance. They need to know you can handle yourself."  
I glare at him.  
"What's that supposed to mean?"

He shrugs, shifting from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"You just need to show them you're more than a pretty face. Show them the fighter I saw last night."

He rubs his bruise slightly, giving me a half-smile. I roll my eyes and sigh.

"Whatever, can we go now? We're going to be late."

He pauses, then steps out of the way. I walk forward and slam my fist against the button that calls the elevator. Dash stays until the elevator comes, when we step inside I let Will press the training floor button. As the doors are closing Dash looks at us grimly.

"Good luck."  
He says with a tight nod. Will grins and calls back a reply, while I remain glaring. As the elevator shoots down to the training floor, Will looks up at me.

"Why are you mad at Dash?"

I look down at him and frown.

"What? I'm not mad at him."  
Will gives me a disbelieving look, and I sigh.  
"Okay maybe I'm a little mad at him."

Will pokes my arm with a smile.

"How come?"

I shrug.

"Just something he said last night..."

Will's eyes suddenly grow wide and he covers his mouth with his hand.

"Did you hit him? Is that where his bruise came from?"

I sigh and lock eyes with Will.

"Listen Will, I don't want to talk about last night okay? He was just being a jerk and he made me so mad I slapped him alright?"

Will nods and turns to look at the doors, a wide grin spreading across his face. After a moment I nudge his side.

"What are you grinning about?"

He shrugs, still grinning.  
"Nothing really...I just can't believe you slapped him."

I smile and Will starts laughing.

"You must have hit him pretty hard to leave a bruise."

I laugh as well as I shake my hand in the air.

"Yeah, my hand is still stinging."

The doors slide open, and we get a lot of funny looks as we walk into the room laughing. The tributes can't believe we have something to laugh about, and the careers are glaring at us. But I don't care, Will and I are laughing, and that's all that matters.

The head trainer gives us a few brief instructions about the private sessions and then dismisses us. The careers, of course, rush immediately to the weapons stations. Ruby casting me a wicked grin as she makes a slicing motion across her neck with a delicate knife. My head suddenly starts to sting again and I turn away quickly, rubbing at my bandage. Will concentrates on his hand to hand combat since he can already hit the bullseye every time with a sling. He also works on increasing his speed and agility by running on the track and swinging through the obstacle course over and over. I practice with hand to hand as well, but focus mostly on survival things, knowing if I reveal what I can do with a lance it will give away my advantage over the careers.

I glance around and notice the other tributes are working especially hard, concentrating intently on their tasks knowing that this is the last day of preparation we will get before we have to use these skills to battle for survival. Lola is exceptional at camouflage and setting traps, and being so small she's good at hiding. Steel is a dead shot with knives, and he's incredibly stealthy. Patricia and Troy are both fair at wielding axes, Patricia throws them and Troy uses a huge axe to chop dummies to bits. Melinda excels at hand to hand combat, and she's also exceptional at stealth, but there's something about her that makes me think she's hiding something. All the careers can wield practically any weapon, and although some of them are fast enough, none of them are that agile, and I don't think any of them know the first thing about survival.

Lunch comes too soon, and we all file silently into the cafeteria, and load our trays with food. Then we divide to our separate tables and eat quietly, even the careers are uncharacteristically mellow. Everyone knows what's coming, and everyone is nervous. After lunch we are told to remain where we are, and they will call us in one by one, starting with the District one and ending with district twelve. The boys start, so Champion is called in first, he stands to the scattered encouragements of his companions and walks into the training room.

After about twenty-five minutes, the speakers in the room crackle and Ruby is being called. She rises with a confident smirk, and stalks into the training room. After her time is up, I learn that the giant from two's name is Burk. After him comes Suzan. After the two from district three are called in, Will starts fidgeting nervously, rubbing his hands together and bouncing his knee. I put my arm around his shoulders and give him a reassuring hug.  
"Don't be nervous, you're going to be fine."  
He gives me a small smile, then terror crosses his face as "Will Flint" is called over the speaker. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and as he stands remind him to show his skills in fighting and slinging, and to impress them with his speed and agility. He nods and smiles nervously before walking into the room. He looks so small as he slips through the large doors. I suddenly find myself anxious for his sake, and I can't help my heart from pounding in suspense. But I know I won't see him again until my turn is up and I return to our floor, after that we'll have to wait until they air the training scores tonight.

Time drags on so slowly, but when they call my name it suddenly feels like Will just walked through the doors. I hardly even notice they didn't even try to pronounce my name, simply calling "miss Flint". I stand up, and take a deep breath, steadying my shaking legs. I hold my head up and walk towards the doors. Lola catches my eye as I pass her and she gives me a small smile.

"Good luck."  
She says quietly, I nod and whisper back.

"You too."  
She thanks me and waves as I walk to the doors. I take another deep breath in hopes of calming my racing heart as I slowly push open the door and walk inside.

The training room looks odd vacant of the other tributes. The trainers are still posted at the station of their expertise, but other than that I am alone. I look up at the gamemakers as I walk into the middle of the hall.

"Go ahead and start with whatever miss Flint."  
The head gamemaker says with a dismissive wave of his hand. I swallow hard and look around, suddenly struggling to remember what I did in training. My eyes fall on the random items table, and I walk quickly over there, automatically forming three or four fish hooks out of bones twigs and some other small things. This relaxes me enough to walk over to the hand to hand combat and go through a few simple moves that throw the trainer to the ground. I glance up at the gamemakers and see several nodding approvingly, while I have their attention I decide to show them what I can do with a lance.

It takes me a moment to find the lances among the weapon stations, when I do I pick several of them up and walk over to the targets. I lift one of the lances and concentrate on the target, but my eyes won't focus. I blink several times, suddenly feeling dizzy.

I shake my head slightly. Fighting with the trainer must have made me dizzy. I refocus on the target and throw the first lance. It doesn't even hit the target. I squeeze my eyes shut and rub my forehead as the room starts spinning. The lances fall from my hand and clatter loudly on the floor. This must have caught the gamemakers attention because I can distantly hear one of them calling down to me.  
"Miss Flint, are you alright?"

I hold my head in my hands and sway as the spinning room starts to mess with my balance.

"Miss Flint, you may go now if you wish."  
I shake my head.

"No, I need to throw the lance..."  
I call back, I drop my hands and straighten up, blinking rapidly as I struggle to focus on the target.

"Miss Flint, perhaps you should go rest..."  
I hear one of the gamemakers call down to me among the scattered stifled chuckles. I look up at them, and suddenly I feel nauseous, the blood drains from my face and then everything just fades into black.

When I wake up, I find myself lying on the training room floor surrounded by feet. I hear voices all talking at once and only manage to catch part of their sentences.

"Poor girl..."

"Couldn't take it..."

"Head wound..."

"No, just weak..."

"...won't last long."

I must have only been out for a minute or less, my head is still throbbing slightly, and my body's sore from falling but other than that I feel fine. I groan and slide my arms underneath myself, pushing up into a sitting position.

"Miss Flint! You're awake."

I look up and see the head gamemaker staring at me with pity in his eyes. He doesn't think I have a chance at all.

"I think your nerves got the better of you."  
One of the gamemakers says with a laugh, he's joined by several of the others as I jump to my feet.

"No! That's not what happened!"

One of the gamemakers pats me sympathetically on my shoulder as he stifles a chuckle.

"It's alright dear, you're a fragile little thing, it's understandable that you would have a...episode under such pressure."  
I push his hand off my shoulder and wheel on him.

"I am not fragile!"

One of the other men shrug as he says.

"Whatever you say princess."

This is the final straw, I shove through the gamemakers and run to the elevator, hearing one last comment before the doors close behind me.

"I'm afraid that the "lady of the sea" has let us down."  
The doors slide shut and I'm left alone. The tears come a few seconds later, and I cover my face with my hands. I'm doomed. No one would ever sponsor me now. The doors slide open as I arrive at our floor, I run straight to my room, ignoring the calls from the others in the lounge. I lock my door and fling myself on the bed, sobbing brokenly as I realize I may have just ruined one of Will's chances at winning. I hear a knock on the door and Will's voice calling anxiously.

"Mags? Are you alright? What happened?"

I can't bring myself to face him, so I just continue to cry. After several minutes I hear him say quietly.  
"I'll be waiting to talk if you want to...call me when you're ready."  
Then I hear him walk away. This brings more sobs. I'm not going to get any sponsors, if Will and I stick together he will most likely be overlooked as well, if we split up I can't protect him. As if I didn't have enough problems already, I suddenly hear the door open. I don't bother lifting my head from the pillow as I scream.  
"Go away! I don't want to talk to anyone!"

I hear the door close, and I think whoever it was left until I feel the bed tilt slightly. I know the only person who weighs enough to tilt the mattress that much is Dash.

"Go away Dash! You're the last person on earth I want to talk to right now!"

I shout into the pillow. He replies with a hint of humor in his voice.

"What about Pixie?"

I lay still for a moment, then slowly sit up. I turn so I'm facing him and cross my legs. His eyes are smiling as he waits for my reply. I sniff loudly and mumble.

"Okay...second to the last person."

He grins and offers me a handkerchief. I reluctantly take it and wipe my face.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?"

I rest my hands in my lap and shake my head.

"Oh come on, it couldn't have been that bad..."  
Before he can continue I meet his gaze and say quickly.

"I fainted."

His eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"What?"

I nod, continuing bitterly.  
"Passed out is more like it. I was doing fine, then after the hand to hand combat with the trainer my head started to spin. I completely missed the target with my first lance and passed out before I was able to throw any others."

Dash stares at me for a minute, trying to process the information I just gave him.

"You just passed out in the middle of the session?"

I nod slowly.

"What happened after that?"

I shrug.

"I woke up surrounded by the gamemakers, they were all saying how I was weak and couldn't handle the stress, they were calling me a 'poor girl' and saying that I didn't have a chance."

He winces slightly.  
"And after that?"

I sniff and wipe my eyes again.

"They tried not to laugh as they told me that I should go rest, they called me princess. Then as I ran away I heard one of them say that the lady of the sea had disappointed them all."

He thinks for a long time.

"Well? I'm screwed right?"

He gets a look on his face that suggests the spark of an idea.

"Maybe not..."

I look at him in disbelief.

"Really? I _fainted_ in front of the gamemakers."

He grins broadly, the evidence clear on his face that he has an idea.

"True, but you are also recovering from a severe head wound, that was most likely the cause for your black out anyway."

He stands up and starts walking towards the door.  
"Where are you going?"

I call after him. He replies over his shoulder as he disappears out the door.

"I'll be right back."  
He returns in a minute with my head medicine.

"I don't think now's the time to play doctor."

I say hesitantly. He gives me a grin.

"Just trust me alright? Besides, your interviews are tomorrow and we don't want your pretty faced marked do we?"

He reaches his hand forward to apply the medicine, but I pull away, suddenly angry. He realizes the issue and drops his hand. He drops my gaze and start mumbling slightly.

"Listen Mags...I...I'm sorry..."

I continue to stare at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He looks up hopefully and I just stare back expectantly.

"Not good enough."  
I say cooly. He sighs and locks eyes with me.

"Mags, will you please forgive me? I was a complete moron and was only thinking about myself, I completely ignored your feelings and behaved like a complete ass...and I'm sorry."

I think for a minute, then nod slowly.

"I forgive you."

He looks relieved and gives me a small embarrassed smile.

"I know you have Felix back home...I guess I was just jealous."

I feel my cheeks heat up and I give him a glare.

"I love Felix. No amount of charm can change that."  
He gives me a lopsided grin.

"You think I'm charming?"

I push him off the bed and laugh as he hits the ground. He chuckles as he stands up.

"Can I put this medicine on now or what?"

I nod and he quickly applies the gel, wrapping my head securely in the clean bandage as he says.

"You still have one thing that could get you sponsors."

I look at him confused as he finishes wrapping my head and steps back.

"What?"

He smiles.  
"The interviews."  
I suddenly remember that the day after tomorrow are the interviews, tomorrow we'll spend all day training for them.  
"Oh...then I'm still screwed."  
He crosses his arms and looks at me surprised.

"Why do you say that?"

I raise my arms in the air and let them fall back onto the bed.

"I've never been in front of that many people before."  
He shakes his head as he corrects me.  
"The chariot ride."  
I roll my eyes.

"Yeah, but then I didn't have to do anything except wave and smile."  
He grins.

"And you were fantastic! Trust me Mags, the audience already loves you. You're going to be amazing."  
I pout slightly.

"What makes you say that?"

He shrugs.

"You're pretty, funny, sarcastic, overall likeable and you have something no one else does."

I look at him questioningly.

"Your little brother. You love Will _so _much, and trust me, the capitol goes crazy for a tragedy."

I feel a slight flicker of hope.

"What about Will?"

Dash laughs and shakes his head.

"That kid will have most of tomorrow off, every time he opens his mouth he either has someone laughing or sobbing. He's going to be incredible."  
I smile as I think of Will's sarcastic and charming personality, he'll have the crowd eating out of his hand in the first minute.

"Come on, why don't you come out and talk to Will? He started crying after you ran in here, even though he didn't know what you were upset about."

Once again my own feelings are pushed aside as worry fills me. I follow Dash into the lounge and sit next to Will, hugging him tightly.

"I'm sorry Will. I should have talked to you."  
He gives me a smile and kisses my cheek.

"That's okay Mags, I know you needed a little time alone."

He huddles up close to me as Pixie asks why I was so upset.

"I um..."

Dash quickly cuts in.

"She blacked out after fighting with one of the trainers, the physical jolt caused her head wound to act up."  
Pixie gasps and then looks at me sympathetically.  
"Oh you poor dear! Are you feeling better now?"

I nod and give her a smile.  
"Yes I'm feeling much better."  
Will rests his head against my shoulder.

"I'm sorry Mags. Did you get to show them anything?"

I shrug.

"A little bit. What about you? Did they seem impressed?"

He shrugs.  
"I didn't really do much...I ran around for a little while and passed the edible plants test."

I look at him in shock.

"What? Didn't you show them how you can sling? And what about the obstacle course?"

He shrugs.

"I didn't have a whole lot of time...they seemed pleased though."  
Dash glances at the clock and says.

"Why don't we eat an early dinner? The training scores won't be up for another couple of hours."  
We all agree and order a large dinner. Will and I eat as much as we can stuff into our stomachs and then some, we know that food will probably be scarce in the days to come and we could use all the weight we can get. After dinner we talk until the training scores are about to air. Dash flips on the television and Estevan Gypsy appears on screen dressed in a silver and purple suit, his hair in it's usual sharp spikes.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen! Tonight the truth will be revealed, get your bets ready as we view this years training scores!"

There's applause from the live audience, and the screen fades to black.

"First up, we have the lovely Ruby!"

Estevan says as Ruby's picture appears on screen, a large letter nine flashes below her picture and Estevan makes a comment on how Ruby is a "deadly beauty" Next is Champion who scores a ten. Suzan gets an eight, and Berk achieves a ten as well. The girl from three gets a two, and the boy only gets a one. I groan as my picture appears and Estevan says secretively.

"I heard this young lady made quite an impression on the gamemakers."

The letter three appears beneath my name and I groan again.

"I wonder what all the commotion was about. Maybe the gamemakers are holding something back?"

Estevan says with amusement. Then my picture fades away and we all hold our breath as Will's picture flashes up and Estevan says.

"Oh look at this adorable little fellow! Let's see what score Will Flint got."

A large letter six appears under his picture and I give him a tight hug.  
"Way to go Will! A six!"

He smiles slightly.

"You would have gotten a twelve if your head hadn't made you faint."

I laugh and shake my head.

"No, I probably would have still gotten a three."

He shrugs and we return to watching the rest of the scores. Patricia gets a seven, Troy scores an eight and to my surprise Melinda receives a nine. That ranks her higher than one of the careers. I wonder what she did that impressed them so much. Not surprisingly Steel gets an eight. He probably just had to send a few knives into the heart of several dummies. I don't remember anyone elses except for Lola who scored a six.

We all discuss the scores a little, then Dash sends Will and I to bed, telling us that we are going to be very busy tomorrow and he needs to talk to Pixie about some things. We say goodnight and retire to our bedrooms.

Will gives me a kiss goodnight and a tight hug.  
"I'll see you tomorrow buddy."  
I tell him with a smile. He nods and waves as he disappears in his room. I then enter mine and shut the door, quickly changing into a pair of pajamas and crawling into bed. I'm almost instantly asleep.

* * *

**Authors Note: Hey everyone! Sorry again for the rather late update :P I'm usually more regular than this. Anyway! I hope you liked this chapter and the next one will be all about interviews! Yay! Those are a personal favorite of mine to write about. It allows you to give the tributes a whole new perspective... So thanks as always for reading and please review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello!**

**So here's another chapter for all you guys, I hope you like it :)**

**I know I said this chapter would be about the interviews, but it ran longer than I anticipated, and I want to give the interviews a nice long chapter and I feel like if I try to squeeze them in this chapter they would just be rushed so this chapter is the day before the interview where Will and Mags are being taught on what to do in the interviews.**

**Next chapter will be interview exclusive, and since I have a whole chapter for just them, I might add little snippets of the other tributes as well :) Let me know if you would like that.**

**So the chapter after next: THE GAMES WILL BEGIN! Exciting!**

**SO anyway here's the chapter and I hope you all like it :)**

**(as always please review!)**

* * *

**Chapter Eight: I thought I knew the truth...**

The next morning I find myself being aroused much to early by Pixie's excited trilling.

"Get up lazy bones! We've got a busy day planned and it's time to get up!"

I groan and roll over, pulling my pillow over my head and trying to ignore her, hoping she'll go away. I find that I don't have such luck as she runs over to my bed and strips the sheets off me. Continuing to chirp happily.

"Get up Mags! Come along missy, you've got a lot to learn and if you want to make a comeback in the sponsor situation you need to be completely perfect in the interviews!"

I realize she's right, so with one last sigh I roll back over and sit up. Pixie claps her hands together with a squeal of delight and jumps up and down.

"Oh lovely! Come on and get dressed, the others are already waiting in the dining room!"

She stays to make sure I actually get out of bed before turning and clipping off down the hallway. I close the door behind her and search through my closet, I'm still half asleep so I'm practically just scrolling through the clothing options on the screen, I finally pick a simple pair of black pants and a light green shirt that brings out my eyes. I run a brush hurriedly through my hair and make my way to the dining room.

"Well look who finally decided to get up."  
Dash says with a grin. I stick my tongue out at him but he only grins broader as he continues.

"It's nice to see you too, thank you for gracing us with your presence sleeping beauty."  
I roll my eyes and sit down next to Will who is trying not to laugh. I poke his shoulder and warn him playfully.

"Hey watch it buddy, one laugh could buy you a ticket to tickle land."  
He immediately sobers and stares straight ahead with mock terror on his face. Dash laughs at this.

"Tickle land?"

I turn my gaze on him and raise an eyebrow as I stifle a smile.

"Yes, if you're not careful you could be sent there too."  
He pretends to be scared at this and clasps his hands together pleading.

"Oh no, not tickle land! I'm sorry, I won't tease your majesty again."  
Pixie tuts disapprovingly and nudges Dash in the side with her elbow.

"Behave like an adult Dash for goodness sake!"

Will can't help it and bursts out laughing, I laugh as well as Dash rubs his ribs and looks grudgingly at Pixie. Breakfast arrives soon after that and we eat quickly, Dash explaining the itinerary for today.

"Alright, I'm going to be coaching you about the content of your interview while Pixie will be showing how to present yourselves. Will, you start with me. Mags, Pixie is in charge of you for the next four hours or so. Be nice to her and do exactly as she says."  
He fixes me with a hard stare.

"Got it?"

I roll my eyes and reply quickly.

"Got it. Sheesh."  
He grins.

"Good. Will we can start now, let's go in the small lounge over there."  
Will hops up and follows Dash into a small side lounge as Pixie claps her hands and grabs my arm.

"Come along missy, we have a lot to do."  
She drags me to her bedroom where I find to my horror she has laid out an array of outfits that I must try on. I've never been a dress and skirt kind of girl, makeup, jewelry, and overall beauty has always been the last thing on my mind. True I make more of an effort to look nice when I'm around Felix, but he likes me the way I am. Pixie is convinced she can make me love fashion and I humor her, pretending to be enthusiastic about the frilly dresses and hundreds of shoes.

She really is trying her best to give me a chance so I pay close attention to everything she has to say. She has me try on at least twenty different dresses before deciding on one, claiming that this style and color flatters me the most. I can't help but agree with her as she pushes me in front of a mirror.

"See?! I'm never wrong!"

She says happily. The dress is a light sky blue that makes my green eyes stand out even more. It's a halter top with a sweetheart neckline, there's practically no back to it, the material starting again several inches above my tailbone. The silky material drapes over my slender hourglass figure in a flattering and comfortable way. The hem brushes the floor in the front, and drags several inches on the ground in the back. Next Pixie puts me in a pair of ridiculous heels that she claims will "Help my figure" although the only thing they seem to be doing is slowly and agonizingly crippling me.

"Oh stop complaining! You look fabulous!"

She says with over emphasis on the last word, I almost trip and grumble under my breath as I right myself.

"I look ridiculous."  
She smacks my arm as I try to pull my dress up.

"Ah ah! Hands off! Walk like a lady!"

I attempt to do this, which just sends her into a fit of exclamations.

"No, no, no! Not like _that!_ Here watch me."  
She starts at one end of the room and walks to the other, keeping her head high and shoulders back. She seems to almost glide across the floor as she takes smooth measured steps.

"See? Like this. Now you try."

I stagger over to the corner of the room and brace myself against the wall. Pixie gives me instructions from her comfortable seat on the bed.

"Now, put your arms by your sides. Keep your head up and your shoulders back."

I drop my arms to my sides, and straighten my posture.  
"Much better! Now think glide."  
I sigh and quickly straighten up again after a sharp rebuke from Pixie. I try to think like Pixie, glide. On the first step I trip over my skirt, twist my ankle in the shoes and fall unceremoniously to the floor, hitting my tailbone rather hard. Pixie flies off the bed and to my side, squealing in alarm.

"Oh goodness! Are you alright?"

I rub my backside gingerly and struggle to get back up.

"I think so..."

Now that I've confirmed my wellbeing, Pixie begins to go on about what a horror it would be if that were to happen on stage.

"You would be ridiculed forever!"

She exclaims horrified, then she falls to teaching me with fresh vigour. She has me trip and fall in the heels at least ten more times before I can stagger across the room remaining upright. After we've accomplished this, we work on keeping posture while I walk. Pixie persistently reminds me to "glide" as I haven't seem to have gotten the hang of it yet. I stand in the corner for what seems like the hundredth time, facing the long room and hard floor. I take a deep breath as Pixie once again says.

"Remember to glide!"

Suddenly the room fades away, and I'm on a boat with Felix. He's holding my arm steadily and smiling at me.

"Whoa there, I've got you. Don't worry, I won't let you fall."

I look into his dark brown eyes, and smile because I know he'd never let me go. I take a deep breath and soak up the memory, Felix was taking me out on the small fishing boat he owns. He doesn't get much time to sail in it because of his long work days, but it was his fathers, so he spends as much time as he can on it. I had never been on rough waters before, my father had always known when the sea would get rough and he would never allow the boys and I to go out on those days. Felix had a rare day off after the fishing boat he works on had to be beached for repairs. He wanted to take me out on the boat, and after a long talk with father, I was finally on the deck. It was a rough day out, and although I have spent half my life on the water, my sea legs were no match for this.

"You have to think of yourself like a fish."  
I remember Felix saying. I laughed and he grinned good-naturedly.

"I mean it. Think of the boat like the water, feel how it moves. When you walk, imagine your gliding through the water."

Under his careful instruction, I had soon mastered the rolling deck. The memory fades, but it's still bright in my mind. I take a deep breath and imagine I'm on the boat again with Felix. I take several steps forward and wobble slightly on the heels.

"The shoes are just the same as a rolling deck."

I whisper to myself. Then I walk over to Pixie with confidence. She claps her hands overjoyed.

"Mags that was wonderful! How did you manage it?"

I smile and shrug.

"I thought of the shoes like a rolling deck back home."  
Pixie seems confused at first and I elaborate further.

"I mean, like when I'm on a boat on the ocean, and the sea is rough. The boat rises and falls, and twists all around with the water, so it's very hard to walk on the deck."

She brightens up and gives me a hug.

"Oh that's so smart!"

I laugh and for a brief second think we're done for the day. But then Pixie is having me glide around the room, waving, smiling, and talking. Then she spends an hour or so on how to sit down, how to hold myself while I'm sitting, how to get back up, and about a thousand different facial expressions. By the time she thinks I'm done, my face is tingling from overuse and my feet and legs are killing me.

"Well, I think I've civilized you enough. You are going to be incredible if you remember what I told you."  
I assure her that I will, and thank her. Just as I'm leaving, Will walks in and stares at me.

"Wow Mags. You're a lot taller."

I laugh and pull up the edge of my dress to show him the six-inch heels. His eyes grow wide and his jaw drops.

"How on earth do you walk in those?"

I kiss the top of his head as I walk out, calling over my shoulder.  
"I think about them like a rolling deck."

I close the door behind me and painfully make my way to the lounge where Dash is waiting for me. I swing the door open and almost trip on the small step into the lounge. Dash who had been sprawling on a couch, gets up quickly and turns towards me. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise as he sees me, and unlike his usual self he seems to be speechless.

"It's rude to stare."  
I tell him with a look, he blinks several times and laughs.

"Sorry, couldn't help it. You look beautiful."

I stumble to the couch and basically fall onto it. I let out a loud groan and rub my eyes.

"Well I feel horrid."

He sits down next to me and looks at my shoes.

"Well no wonder, those are ridiculous."  
I laugh as I survey the heels.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I feel like my feet are stuck in a crab trap."  
He laughs and slides off the couch onto the floor.

"Here let me help free your feet."

I hesitate for a moment before offering my foot.

"Watch your hands."

I warn him. He flashes me a grin and almost instantly has the shoe off. I gasp as he moves to the next one, taking it off in a little under five seconds.

"How did you do that? It took Pixie and I almost twenty minutes to get them on."

He shrugs, rubbing my feet to get the blood circulating again.  
"You get the hang of it after a while."

I think about this for a moment.

"How often do you find yourself taking women's shoes off?"

I ask with a tease in my voice, his eyes get a haunted look in them and he drops his gaze before muttering something under his breath.

"What?"

I ask, he shakes his head.

"Nothing."

His skillful hands soon have my feet relaxed and comfortable again and he takes a seat across from me.

"Better?"

He asks. I nod and pull my feet up onto the couch.

"Much. Thank you."  
He gives me a small smile.

"No problem. Now it's time to get down to business. We need to work out an angle for you."

I sigh, feeling drained.

"What's Will's angle?"

Dash smiles.

"Funny and cute. Although it's hard to sum up all that Will is in a few words."

I laugh.

"He's that good huh?"

He nods with a smile.

"Yup. Most of the time we were in here we were just talking."

I rest my chin on my knees.

"Oh? What about?"

He shrugs.

"Just...home mostly."

I feel a pang of homesickness, and nod slowly.

"So what's my angle?"

Dash spends a minute or so thinking as he stares at me.

"Well...in that dress I would say sexy."

I blush deeply and pull self-consciously at the fabric as Dash continues.

"But that's not who you are. I'm thinking our best bet would be for you to just be yourself."

I think for a minute.

"Who am I?"

He chuckles.

"You are the cute, funny, sarcastic, loving big sister, Beautiful lady of the sea."  
I think for a moment.

"So you want me to just be myself?"

He nods.

"Although I would be as nice as possible, sponsors don't like tributes that insult them."

I nod slowly with a small smile.

"I'll try my best."

We spend an hour or so longer discussing what I should say and do, and other such things. By the time it's all over, I am feeling completely exhausted. Dash has been surprisingly nice, acting more like a normal guy and not the flirty capitol prince charming. He's actually quite funny when he gets comfortable around you, and it was nice to see him break out of his shell.

"So do you have any family back home?"

I ask him. He hesitates a moment before answering.

"Yes...my mother and sister."

I smile, amused to find he has a sister.

"Older or younger sister?"

He shrugs.

"Younger, she's technically my step sister. My dad died when I was a baby, and Mother married one of her close friends when I was around seven."

"Oh I'm sorry. I know how hard it is to lose a parent."

He shrugs again.

"I never knew my dad, and my mom's knew husband has been the best father I could ask for."

I shift slightly on the couch, pulling my legs out from underneath me.

"So Pearl is your sister? How old is she?"

He has to think for a moment, then his eyes fill with pain.

"She just turned twelve..."

Now I know why the pain is in his eyes. When you become a victor, you have earned the right to never be eligible for reaping again, your family members unfortunately don't receive that privilege.

"Sorry..."

He gives me a small smile.

"I think you have enough problems of your own, no need to be sorry."

I shrug.

"Well, considering my most recent problems, I think I can relate to what you're going through."

He laughs.

"Yeah I guess."

After that we avoid the subject of family, talking instead about the interviews.

"So how did your interview go?"

He laughs and rubs his forehead slightly embarrassed.

"Oh...gosh don't remind me about that."

He groans. I laugh and lean forward.

"Well know I have to know. Don't spare any details."

He peeks out from between his fingers and shakes his head.

"You don't want to know."  
I nod, managing to keep a straight face, although I can't hide the humor in my voice.

"Oh yes I do."

He finally gives in with a sigh.

"Alright fine, you have to promise not to laugh though."  
I nod eagerly and wrap my arms around my drawn up legs, resting my chin on my knees as I wait for him to start.

"Well here goes nothing...So since I was the first district four victor I didn't have a mentor so I was pretty much on my own."

I interrupt briefly.

"So you didn't have anyone to help you?"

He shrugs.

"If you count our previous escort and my stylist as help...I guess I had a little. However being from the capitol they were good for knowing what the capitol wanted in a tribute, and while they were excellent in helping me perform in front of the crowds, they had no insight whatsoever on the games themselves. So concerning what was actually important I had no one."

I nod.

"That must have been awful. I'm glad Will and I have you."  
He smiles slightly.

"Are you saying you like me around?"

I give him a look.

"I'm glad we have someone that could help bring Will home. That's what I meant."  
He shrugs and continues with his story.

"So since they were all capitol, they knew exactly what the capitol wanted. They would babble endlessly on how attractive I was compared to previous tributes, and that, that alone was a big advantage. After my prep team had finished polishing me off my escort and stylist instantly decided that my angle would be sexy and charming."

I raise an eyebrow at him and he holds his hands up defensively.

"I swear I was just a normal kid before the games. Well maybe I was a little bit of a flirt, but not near as bad as I am now."

I smile slightly.

"Well at least you know that you do it."  
He gets that slightly haunted look in his eyes again, and blinks it away quickly.

"Anyway, for the chariot rides they had me in a...well let's just say it was a rather suggestive costume. After that I was tagged as 'the handsome one'. It seemed to work in my favour though, I had already gotten sponsors after the chariot rides. The number only boosted after I got an eight in training. The interviews came and I was prepped for them. Apparently I just had to overuse my natural flirting and charm, and they said I was ready. Although they gave me a few tips on things to do during the interview."

He doesn't seem to want to elaborate on this, so I press further.

"Oh? Like what?"

He shrugs.

"Casual seductive glances at the crowd, flicking my hair, that kind of thing. It was horrid at first, but you get used to it after a while. It becomes another part of you, a whole new personality and with enough use you can just switch between the two."

He seems so mild, almost like Leroy is. Just a normal guy.

"So I'm talking to the real you right now?"

He nods. Then gives me a seductive look and casually flicks his hair out of his eyes.

"Although...if you prefer this side of me more, I can do that for you. I'll do anything you want."

He purrs in a low voice. I blush and he shrugs slightly.

"See? It's becomes almost second nature. especially when I'm in the capitol."

I get my flushed cheeks under control and look at him sadly.

"That sounds horrible."

He nods.

"It is."

There's a moment silence, then I remember our original conversation.

"So what happened in the interviews?"

He snaps back and nods.

"Oh right. Well the interview was going great, the crowd loved me, I had gotten over my nerves and the conversation was flowing smoothly."

He pauses and I look at him expectantly.

"And?"

He blushes slightly, and it's funny to see his cheeks red for once.

"Well, I probably only had a minute left on my interview, when I glanced at the crowd with a look, suddenly this capitol girl with blue hair jumps onto the stage, runs forward, throws herself on me and starts kissing me. Some peacekeepers had to run on stage and pull her off."

I cover my mouth with both hands to try and stifle the laughter, but a few giggles escape through my fingers and Dash puts on a mock hurt face.

"Hey! You promised not to laugh."

I get my laughter under control and pretend to be serious, putting on a pitying face.

"I'm sorry. That must have been very...traumatic."  
A choke escapes my throat and I burst out laughing, unable to contain it any longer. He gives me a glare.

"It was! Although it did wonders for my popularity."

After I've finished laughing I wipe the tears from my eyes and shake my head.

"Wow, that was one of the greatest things I've ever heard. So after that you've been stuck with the whole sexy prince charming thing?"

He nods.

"Unfortunately. After you become a victor, you're expected to stay the exact same as before the games...even though the arena changes you."

I nod silently, not wanting to bring that subject up again. But suddenly something hits me, and for a moment I'm in shock.

"Mags? Is something wrong?"

He asks worried. I look up at him, swallowing hard as I manage to gasp out.

"You won the sixth hunger games."

He nods, frowning in confusion.  
"Yes...what's wrong?"

My mind is racing furiously.

"Will you tell me the truth?"

He nods slowly. I meet his gaze, and his eyes are confused at my intensity.

"Hope."

His eyes fill with pain and he drops my gaze.

"You said she was from district seven right?"

He nods again.

"She wasn't from district seven. Was she?"

He meets my gaze, his eyes dewy with unshed tears.

"What makes you say that?"

I feel my own eyes start to fill with tears as I say harshly.  
"She wasn't from district seven was she?!"

He shakes his head very slowly.  
"She was from home. She was your _district _partner."

He bites his bottom lip. Killing your own district partner is considered the lowest form of treachery, even in the career districts. He finally meets my gaze.

"I was labeled a traitor when I got home...as if I didn't feel tortured enough already."

My voice quivers as I say in a low voice.

"Why did you lie to me?"

He can't meet my gaze, staring at the floor.

"I didn't want you to think even less of me..."

I stand up and choke slightly as I say.  
"You know how Hope told you the reason she was helping you was because you reminded her of her younger brother?"

He nods, his grey eyes slowly sliding up to look in mine.

"Hope was Felix's older sister."

His eyes grow wide, and he's about to say something when I say quickly.

"She was the only family he had! She was everything to him!"

He stands up and takes a step towards me.

"Mags I'm sorry..."  
I shake my head and take a step away from him.

"How could you kill your own district partner? What else have you lied about?"

He shakes his head, his voice desperate.

"Nothing, I swear."  
I feel the tears overflow, and I choke slightly as I say.

"I don't know if I can trust you."

He reaches forward and rests his hand on my shoulder.

"Mags I'm sorry. I didn't know."  
I shake his hand off my shoulder and take another step back.

"It doesn't matter, that kind of betrayal can never be forgiven."  
I turn and flee the room, ignoring his pleading cries. I run into my room and slam shut the door, flinging myself on the bed and crying bitterly. Because I had let him in, I had actually begun to like him, and now I find out he killed Felix's sister. I don't know how I didn't think about it before, how could I have forgotten Hope? I feel guilty for forgetting, and now I feel like I've betrayed Felix by becoming friends with Dash.

I spend the rest of the night in my room, ordering dinner to my room. Will briefly tried to get me to come out, and I just told him I wasn't feeling very good. He said he hoped I felt better and left. I'm glad tomorrow will be the last day I have to see Dash, after the interview tomorrow night, Will and I will be taken to the arena, and then I will die and I won't have to deal with Dash and all his complicated and confusing issues.

I cry a little more as I think of Felix losing his sister, and now he's lost me as well. At least when Will goes home Felix will be able to relate, he might be able to give him a little advice on how to deal with losing an older sister.

I fall asleep early, and have a mercifully dreamless night.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hey guys! I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while, I wish I had a better excuse but the truth is I've just been kind of non-motivated lately.**

**I have been a little bit busy but that's not really the reason :P**

**So anyway, I am hoping this chapter will go well, I'm very excited to write about it because it's exclusively featuring the interviews! Yay! :D**

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter as well and I once again ask that you please leave a review, I really love getting them, it makes my day :)**

**So here it is! Enjoy.**

**(really long chapter just to warn you!)**

* * *

**Chapter Nine: In the spotlight.**

Will comes to wake me up in the morning, and it's evident he's very excited about tonight.

"Wake up Mags! Our stylists and prep teams are here! They said it's going to take them all day to get us ready."

He's jumping up and down on my bed, thankfully avoiding my stretched out arms and legs. I roll over and heave a pillow at him playfully, hitting him square in the face and knocking him to the bed. I laugh as I sit up, then I'm taken completely by surprise as Will's pillow smacks against my head. This starts an all out pillow war, ending when our stylists walk in.

"What's going on in here?"

Bojo says with a smile, Will and I look sheepishly at him and Jix.

"We were...training?"

Will says with a little grin. Jix thinks this is hilarious, but Bojo just looks at Will sadly.

"Come along you little imp! Your prep team has a lot of work to do for tonight! You have to look perfect after all!"

Jix says as she takes Will's hand and leads him out into the hall. He looks over his shoulder and waves at me with a smile. Then the door closes and I'm left alone with Bojo.

"Well Mags, I guess your prep team should get started."

I pout a little.

"Don't I get to at least eat breakfast?"

He thinks for a minute.

"You can order some food as the team sets up alright?"

I nod gratefully and quickly order a platter of fruit and pancakes. It arrives as the prep team does, and they quickly start setting up everything they'll need to get me in perfect condition for tonight. I eat as much as I can before they pull me into the bathroom and get started.

It's a long and tedious process, and half the time I wonder how much of a difference they're actually doing, but I don't complain or ask because I know this would seem foolish. This is their job after all, and I'm sure they know exactly what they're doing.

Will was right, it takes them almost all day, I lost count of all the baths they're making me take in different solutions. I manage to grab some more to eat for lunch while they're setting up yet another bath, preparing the hundredth mask to go on my face, and another concoction for my hair.

"Come along! We aren't finished yet!"

Twinkle says, as she tucks a loose strand of hair behind her pointed ears. Peggy looks thinner than before, and her pale violet skin seems to be clinging to bone. She grabs my arm and pulls me away from my lunch.

"We still have lots of work to do! No time to eat!"

I have been very patient with them so far, but I do have a temper, and patience isn't one of my strong suits.

"Well soon I might not have anything to eat so I'm trying to get as much as I can while I still have it."

I reply cooly, giving her a look. She seems to realize this, and glances at the others for help. Niko steps forward and pats my shoulder.

"We know, but if you do want food in the arena, you need sponsors! That's what we're trying to help you get!"

Twinkle claps her hands happily and motions to the tub.

"Come along, we'll make sure you get an absolutely giant dinner alright?"

This encourages me, so I submit to their instructions once again. True to their word, when they are all finished with me they hand me a robe and tell me I can go eat in the dining room while they help Bojo get my outfit ready. I thank them and quickly go to the dining room.

I sit down at the empty table and ask the servant to bring out as many different kinds of food as he can. He nods and disappears to where I assume is the kitchen. I relax in my chair, running my hand across my arm. The skin is so soft and smooth, perfect really. My hair is the same, a silky and soft golden curtain, completely flawless in every way.

I hear a noise and look up, Dash had walked through the door leading to the opposite hall, and upon seeing me stopped short. We stare at each other for a moment of awkward silence, and he finally says.

"Um...I guess I'll order in my room."

I shake my head.

"No it's fine...I ordered enough dinner for an army."

He looks uncertain for a moment.

"You sure you don't mind? I can eat in my room, it's not a problem at all."

I shake my head again.

"I'll be fine."

He nods and walks the rest of the way into the room, taking a seat across from me. As he sits down, I add.

"I only have to tolerate you until tomorrow morning anyway."

He smiles slightly.

"Tolerate me."

He says quietly, shaking his head slightly. After a little while of more awkward silence, I finally can't stand the tortured look on his face anymore.

"Dash listen...how I behaved yesterday, well I had no right to judge you. I'm sorry."

He continues to stare at the table, and when he replies his voice is low.

"You had every right to judge me, and you shouldn't be sorry for being angry. I should be the one who's sorry."

He has his head lowered between his shoulders, and he lifts it just high enough to look in my eyes. He looks so broken, so helpless.

"I am sorry Mags."

I bite my lip slightly, trying to decide what to do.

"I deserve to be treated like the lowest scum that I am."

He barely mumbles it, dropping his head again. His hands are twisted together on the table, and I reach forward and put my hands over his to get his attention. He looks briefly at his hands before looking up at me.

"Maybe you are the lowest form of scum, but that doesn't mean I should treat you like it."

He shrugs slightly.

"Why not?"

I give his hands a squeeze as I say.  
"Because you tear yourself up enough for both of us."  
He smiles slightly.

"Thanks. Feel free to hate me as much as you want."

I laugh and sit back in my chair.

"Now you're acting like a masochist."

He smiles and shrugs.  
"Whatever you say. So your prep team released you?"

I nod.

"They said I could eat while they're getting my outfit ready."  
He smiles.  
"Well that's nice, most teams aren't as understanding."

I smile slightly.

"Well...I sort of said I was trying to eat as much as I could because in the near future I might not have any food."  
His eyes open wide and his jaw drops.

"You said that?"

I nod.

"Yup, didn't look to happy to realize the truth behind that."

He shakes his head.

"I bet not."

Suddenly a thought strikes me.  
"Wait, what about Will? Has he had anything to eat today? He's so small he could use all the food he can eat."

Dash stands up.

"Do you want me to go get him?"

I give him a small smile.

"Yes please."  
He returns my smile and walks towards Will's room.

"I'll be right back."

He disappears through the door, and suddenly the food starts to arrive. Platter after platter, piled high with incredible foods wafting tantalizing aroma around the dining room. I hear the door open behind me as more food arrives, and turn to see Will walk in, eyes closed, nose twitching as he sniffs. I smile, as I think of how not that long ago he was doing the same at home.

"What are those smells?"

He says as he step beside me. I laugh and poke him.

"Open your eyes and see silly. I can't even name all the dishes."

He opens his eyes and stares hungrily at the food. I poke his side again.

"Hey, don't drool on me. Grab a plate and lets eat."  
He grins and quickly sits down next to me. Dash walks in and sits across from us and we all start eating. Will and I betting that we can out eat Dash, he grins and takes us on, quickly showing us that he can easily eat more than Will and I combined. After stuffing ourselves until we're bursting, we push away our plates and sit back in our chairs.

"Ugh."

Moans Will as he rubs his stomach.

"I think my tummy is going to explode."

I start to laugh, but then hold my stomach as well and let out a groan.

"Oh me too."

Dash appears to be fine, and laughs at us.

"You two better not be waddling on stage tonight, Pixie would have a fit."

Will laughs, and I stick my tongue out at him. Just then our prep teams return and pull us to our rooms.

"Come on! We've given you a good hour and a half to eat! Now we're going to be rushing around to get you ready!"

They practically yank me into my room and down in a chair, doing last-minute preparations before I get dressed. This includes having my nails painted, my hair styled and my makeup done. I notice my nails are being painted with a blue polish that shimmers green, Twinkle adding a subtle scale pattern on them. Niko quickly weaves and braids little pieces of my hair, then he pins the weaved and braided strands up onto my head, leaving half of my hair down. The pieces that he leaves down he quickly curls them into what he calls mermaid curls, which is basically wide loose curls. He inserts several small decorative pins in my hair that are encrusted with little green and blue crystals.

Peggy lets me see my makeup in a mirror, and I'm surprised to see it's not caked on. Light green eyeshadow shimmers on my eyelids, with white highlights. My eyelashes are long and full, but not to the point of looking unnatural, my lips are a subtle shade of pink and I have just the slightest hint of pink on my cheek bones. Overall I look like myself, just with my features better highlighted.

"It's so...natural."  
I say slowly. Peggy smiles.

"That was Bojo's idea, it has something to do with your dress."

They refuse to tell me more, and I'm left to wonder as they add the finishing touches. Finally Bojo comes in with a garment bag.

"Are you ready to see your dress?"

He asks with a smile. I nod eagerly, and he pulls it out. I'm a little confused at first, and he laughs at my face.

"You won't understand until it's on."

He and the prep team start to put the dress on me, and I'm still perplexed as they keep adding layers.

"What..."

I start, but Bojo shushes me.

"Wait and see! A little patience."

I smile and do as he says. When he's finished, he straightens up and smiles.

"Alright, look in the mirror."  
I turn to face the full length mirror and gasp. I look like...

"I...I'm the ocean."  
I say in a whisper. The prep team squeals and claps their hands while Bojo just smiles.

"You like it?"

I nod.

"Very much."

I take a closer look at the dress.

It's a material that is blue-green, but leans more towards the green side. It's staples, but has a sheer piece of light green fabric over the bust that drapes down my arms, connected to my wrists in the form of thin gold bracelets. The dress starting from the bottom of the bust is ruched and layered in a way to look like the ocean's ripples. the skirt hangs loosely despite its many layers, and the fabric is silky.

"It's so beautiful...it looks like the ocean."

Bojo smiles, and he looks like he's hiding something.

"Twirl."

I look at him.  
"What?"

He smiles again.

"Just do a little twirl."

I lift my arms slightly and spin in a circle. I gasp in surprise as hidden white ruffles appear, starting at the top and running down the skirt like breaking waves. When I stop spinning, the foaming wave tops disappear.

"How did you do that?"

I ask in surprise as I spin again. Bojo laughs and shakes his head.

"A stylist never reveals his secrets. You look magnificent. You truly are the lady of the sea."  
I give him a tight hug.  
"Thank you so much...I'm going to be unforgettable."

He shakes his head and corrects me.

"No, you are unforgettable. Here are your shoes."

He hands me a pair of green wedges that are only about three inches high. I put them on, and when I stand up walking is as easy as it is barefoot. I give him another hug.  
"You're the most wonderful person ever!"

He smiles modestly.

"I highly doubt that is true, but thank you anyway."

They make a few last-minute touches, and then take me to the main room. We wait for a few minutes before Will and his team appear. I smile at Will, covering my mouth with my hands.

He's dressed in a black suit that fits him perfectly. He has a light green shirt underneath with a dark green tie, I notice he has silver cuff links on. He tightens his tie slightly and gives me a look with one eyebrow raised.

"Hey baby."  
He says in a 'charming' voice. I laugh and give him a hug, careful not to mess up his perfect curls. He stretches up and kisses my cheek.

"I'm practicing."

I hold his hand and give it a squeeze.

"Well you're going to be great."

He shrugs.

"You will be too."

Just then Dash walks in, dressed in a black suit with a white shirt underneath, the top three buttons of which are undone.

"Ready to go?"

He asks us. Will and I look at each other for a moment before nodding. He smiles and leads us to the elevator. In a few minutes we are standing backstage at the place where we will be interviewed. In a moment, Estevan Gypsy will announce us, and we will parade on stage, sit in our seats, and wait for our name to be called. While we wait, I get a quick look at the other tributes.

Ruby seems to be going with her label of being a deadly beauty, dressed in a very formfitting bright red dress, it has a plunging neckline and practically no back, add that with a slit up to her thigh and I'm guessing her angle is sexy. She can pull it off to, with her red-gold hair pulled up to leave her back bare, a few ringlets frame her face which has dramatic makeup, smokey eyes, and bright red lips make her look powerful and seductive.

Champion is looking fashionable I suppose in black pants and a frilly white shirt, his blonde hair is slicked back.

Suzan is wearing a medium length black dress, and her hair is pinned up. Burk is almost splitting the seams on his teal shirt, and I'm guessing his stylist did this on purpose to showcase his strength.

Before I can look over any of the others, Will tugs on my hand. I look down at him and he nods towards a small figure in a light pink chiffon dress. Lola's auburn hair is pulled away from her face, then it falls loosely down her back in its natural waves. Her large brown eyes look bigger with the slightest hints of makeup. Her dress skirt is all ruffles. She sees Will and I looking at her and she waves, giving Will a smile. He smiles and waves back, then we hear the music start.

I turn my attention to the stage, and see Estevan walk out to the cheers of the crowd, waving and smiling as he takes his seat. This evening he's wearing his usual interview outfit; a shiny silver suit with black shirt underneath. He waits for the crowd to calm down, then announces dramatically.

"I suppose you all would like to get this show started."

The crowd screams their approval, and he smiles wider.

"Well then, without further adue...may I introduce the tributes for the eleventh annual hunger games!"

The crowd goes insane as the we all line up in order of district and parade onto the stage. We walk to the back of the stage and all sit in the twenty-four chairs lined in a semi-circle. Estevan claps with the crowd, then gets down to business.

"Alright, first up we have the deadly beauty, and I don't just mean that she is deadly and beautiful, but that her beauty alone could kill you! I have the pleasure to announce...Ruby Vidial from district one!"

I roll my eyes at Estevan's announcement, like Ruby needed anything else to puff up her ego. She strolls onstage, batting her eyelashes at Estevan as she shakes his hand.

"My, my! Don't you look absolutely incredible tonight!"

Estevan says as he looks her over, she smiles and strikes a pose.

"Don't I?"

The crowd roars approval at this, and she takes her seat. Throughout the interview she is constantly crossing her legs so that the slit bares her legs completely. She's playing this up as much as she can, although at the same time sticking with being deadly as well, boasting about how many ways she could kill someone.

"What's your weapon of choice?"

Estevan asks her. She smiles.

"Well, I can use pretty much anything, but I do fancy the scimitar."

I shudder slightly as an image of the wicked curved blade comes into my head, and I can imagine her slicing someone to bits with it. Estevan makes some comment on how this is a more rare weapon of choice, and then the buzzer sounds.

"Oh, well that's all the time we have. Thank you my dear and I think we all look forward to seeing you put your skills to use."  
Estevan says as he shakes her hand. Ruby gives the audience one last smirk as she says.

"Oh, don't worry, I'll give all of you a great show."  
She then struts back to her seat, and Estevan is calling Champion to the stage. He's obviously picked arrogant as his angle, and boy can he pull it off. He's constantly making remarks on how strong he is, or how skilled he is, then laughing loudly as if he was hilarious. Will can't help giggling, and I nudge him in the side as I start grinning, because well, it is ridiculous. After he's done, Suzan takes the stage as strong and silent. Estevan mentions how fit she is and she replies.

"It's one thing to be fit, it's another to be strong. When you're in these games, strong is the only option you have."

Estevan nods his agreement and moves on to asking why she volunteered. She gets a smug little look on her face and she just says.

"To win."

The buzzer sounds and Burk is up. He hardly talks at all, only saying yes, no, or just shrugging. He does say that he finds it amusing how he could crush half the tributes with his bare hands. Estevan laughs nervously at this, and some of the crowd cheer their approval. My heart starts beating faster as I realize my turn is almost up. I jump slightly as the buzzer sounds, and Will holds my hand reassuringly.

"Hey, don't worry, you're going to be fine."  
I give him a smile and look as the thirteen year-old from three with the crazy red curls and shy green eyes takes her seat. Her dress is a dark green that contrasts well with her hair. She is shy, but Estevan is sweet to her so she warms up a little. I hadn't caught her name, but I learn it when Estevan addresses her.

"So Rosa, what will your strategy in the games be?"

She gives him a little smile, and ducks her head slightly, causing her curls to fall over her face. You can just hear her reply quietly.

"If I told you it wouldn't be a strategy would it?"

Estevan laughs and congratulates her on being wise not to share her advantage. After her comes her district partner who I remember is only fourteen. His shaggy brown waves are styled away from his face, and he straightens his glasses out as he walks up and shakes Estevan's hand.

"Welcome Milo. Have a seat."  
So his name is Milo. He takes his seat and leans back. His angle seems to be smart and funny.

"So Milo, are you going to let us know what your advantage will be in the games?"

He smiles and taps his temple.

"intellect. I'm not saying the other tributes are stupid...per say."  
Here he casts a look at the careers, granting him the laughter of the crowd and glares from the careers. Estevan nods.

"So you're pretty smart?"

Estevan looks at him and replies in a completely serious voice.

"You ask me if I'm smart?"

He raises his hands and looks at the crowd.

"Is the capitol glorious?"

The crowd roars approval and applauds, and I note that he is indeed smart by winning the crowds affection. He and Estevan continue for a little longer, talking about how intillect can be an advantage and so on, and then the buzzer sounds and I suddenly can't breathe as I realize I'm next! Will tugs on my hand and I look down at him, he gives me a smile and whispers.

"Hey, Dad, Leroy and Felix are going to be watching you. Just think about them and me alright? You'll be fine."

I smile, his words reassuring me. Then I hear Estevan begin to announce me.

"Well, I've been personally looking forward to this particular interview. This young lady I think has posed quite a mystery to us all, and I know we all were floored by her appearance at the chariot rides."  
The crowd cheers their approval, and I feel a little comforted by this.

"So, to my great pleasure let me announce. Miss Flint, the lady of the sea!"

The crowd screams as I stand and walk over to Estevan, I smile nervously and give the crowd a small wave. Estevan shakes my hand, and then grabbing hold of my other hand he holds me at arm's length and looks me over.

"Miss Flint! You have to be the most gorgeous creature I've ever seen!"

I blush slightly as the crowd screams and give Estevan I little nod.

"Thank you sir, although I'm afraid I have to give my stylist credit for that."

The cameras cut briefly to Bojo and he smiles as the crowd cheers him, then cupping his hands over his mouth he shouts.

"She's beautiful on her own, I just made the dress!"

Estevan looks at me and smiles.

"See? You my dear are gorgeous, don't let anyone tell you different."

I give him another smile.

"Well thank you."

Then he turns his attention on my dress.

"But I must say, this dress almost blows away your chariot outfit! It is amazing!"

I get a mischievous look on my face, and beckon for Estevan to come closer. He makes a big show of looking around casually and leaning forward, I cup my hand around my mouth and whisper in his ear.

"Twirl me."  
He mimics my secrecy and cupping his hand around his mouth, whispers in my ear.

"Twirl you?"

I nod, he thinks for a moment and then takes a step back, still holding one of my hands he twirls me around. The crowd gasps as my dress comes to life, waves breaking down the skirt as the water ripples. Estevan twirls me until I'm dizzy, and finally stops.

"I take it back! This dress blows away your chariot one!"

The crowd agrees and Estevan escorts me to my seat, then he takes his.

"Well miss flint, I'll have to say you tend to make an impression. Now I must ask you a question that everyone is absolutely _dying_ to know."

He leans forward and after a brief moments pause, he says.

"What on earth is your first name?"

I start laughing, and the crowd joins in. Estevan looks hurt and says.

"What? Everyone wants to know."  
I get my laughter under control and say quickly.

"Just call me Mags, everyone does...well except my dad, he insists on using my full name."  
Estevan raises an eyebrow.

"And what is that?"

I shrug.

"It's too complicated, Mags is what I prefer."  
He nods.

"Mags it is then. It's nice to finally put a name to the face."  
I smile as the crowd laughs. Then Estevan goes directly to talking about personal stuff.

"Now, you were reaped with your little brother Will, correct?"

I nod slowly, looking at Will who gives me a smile. Estevan continues.

"That is such a shame."  
He says sadly, the crowd ripples with murmurs of agreement.

"How have you been handling it?"

I think for a moment.

"Honestly? Not well, he's only twelve and at first I was just thinking we were both on death row."

Estevan looks surprised.

"What changed your mind?"

I smile slightly.

"Believe it or not, once we started training, I realized maybe we weren't as helpless as I originally thought."

Estevan smiles and nods.

"Good for you. Although there was a slight...altercation in training wasn't there?"

I grimace slightly and nod.

"Oh yes, that. Well there was an...accidental knife throw gone wrong, and I ended up bedridden for the rest of the day. Although I did receive some complications after that like dizziness and feeling faint. But you can't even see where I got hit now."  
Estevan squints at my forehead and shakes his head.

"Not even a scratch. Might I ask about your training score? I think we were all expecting something a little higher."

I smile ruefully, and shrug.

"Well, let's just say there were some complications in the private session as well. But I can honestly say I think everyone is underestimating me."

He looks hurt and says.

"I would never underestimate you my dear! Why I think you have some big surprises for all of us in store."

I smile and nod, looking at the crowd as I said.

"Yes, remember to not write me off, you never know what angle I'm playing."

Estevan points to my ring.

"Is that your district token?"

I nod, holding my hand forward so he can see.

"It's beautiful! Where did you get it?"

I blush slightly as I reply.

"Felix gave it to me."

He raises an eyebrow and turns to the audience.

"Do you see that blush? Now we must know."  
He turns back to me.

"Who might I ask is Felix?"

I think for a moment.

"My boyfriend...although without the current circumstances, in a few years he would have been my fiancé."

Estevan gasps and puts a hand over his heart.

"Oh, how tragic for you! Well let's hope that is still an option."  
I shrug.

"We'll see."

Estevan seems to remember something and says.

"Oh yes, I almost forgot one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."

I'm curious.

"Oh?"

He nods.

"What did you think of your mentor?"

I hate myself as I feel my cheeks heat up again. Why would he bring him up? I don't even know what to say about Dash. I hated him, then tolerated him, then got to be friends with him, then I hated him again, I don't even know where we are now. Estevan sees my blush, and gasps, turning to the crowd with a wink.  
"Ooh! Do you see that? We have another blush!"

I force myself to calm down and suddenly I know exactly what to say to Estevan about Dash.

"Well, you want to know what I think of him?"

Estevan nods.

"Now more than ever."

I take a deep breath and say.

"I think he's trying his best to bring home a victor, and I know he will do all that he can."

Estevan nods.

"But what do you think about him personally?"

I give him a smirk.

"I personally tolerate him."

This sends the crowd into fits of laughter, and Estevan joins in. The cameras cut to Dash and he grins as he shakes his head slightly.

"What did you do to make this girl 'tolerate' you?"

Estevan asks him. He shrugs and I know he's using his capitol made personality as he replies.

"Well you know I drive women crazy, she just can't handle me."  
The women in the crowd shriek at this and I give him a look. Estevan turns back to me and shakes his head.

"Well, that's Dashing for you."

I roll my eyes.

"Yes indeed."

Estevan laughs and turns back to the subject of Will.

"So is Will your only sibling?"

I shake my head.

"No, I have another brother, he's fourteen so he's the middle child. His name's Leroy."

Estevan nods.

"So you're the oldest and the only girl?"

I smile and nod.

"Yes, I've had to be a mother as well as sister to them since my mother died when she had Will."

Sympathetic "awws" from the crowd, and Estevan looks at me sorrowfully.

"Oh I'm sorry."  
I shrug.

"It's alright, I was little when she died."

The buzzer sounds and Estevan stands up and puts his arm around me.

"Well it has been my pleasure to interview you Mags, and I know you'll surprise us all. Ladies and gentlemen, Mags Flint, lady of the sea!"

The crowd cheers and applauds as I wave and take my seat. Will gives me a quick kiss and whispers in my ear.

"See? I told you you'd be great."

Then Estevan is announcing his name.

"Now we get to interview the lady's little brother, please welcome Will Flint!"

The crowd applauds as Will walks onstage, He waves at the crowd and blows them a kiss. They cheer him on as he turns to Estevan.

"Good evening Estevan."  
He says seriously, as he shakes his hand. Estevan laughs and mimics his serious attitude.

"Good evening Will."

Before Estevan can take his seat, Will walks around him and sits down in the interviewers chair. Estevan looks confused and Will grins, motioning to the chair that was meant for himself.

"Have a seat."  
The crowd roars with laughter as Estevan sits down in the chair. Will crosses his legs and clasps his hands together, remaining perfectly serious.

"Now, how are you this evening young man?"

Estevan can't help laughing as he replies.

"Um...very well."  
Will nods.

"Good, good. Now what are you going to be doing during the games?"

This is too much for the crowd, who are cheering and laughing so hard the room shakes. Estevan claps his hands as he leans back in his chair and laughs. Will is now the only serious one, seeming not to notice the merriment around him.  
"Are you going to answer me? I'm afraid it's not good form to laugh at a simple question."

Estevan gets his laughter under control and wipes the tears from his cheeks.

"Oh, you see I was confused. I thought _I_ was supposed to be interviewing _you_."

Will starts in mock surprise, blinking as he puts on an indignant face.

"You interviewing me? Why that's preposterous! I wouldn't be sitting in the interviewers chair if I wasn't the interviewer. I think you are mistaken."

Estevan shakes his head, trying to control his laughter.

"No you see, that is my chair."  
Will once again looks indignant.

"I beg your pardon? This is my chair."  
The crowd is laughing uncontrollably now, and I notice a few of the tributes are laughing as well. Estevan takes a deep breath and shakes his head.

"No it's mine."  
Will sighs as if he's tired of dealing with this simple person.  
"Does it have your name on it?"

He asks patronizingly. Estevan nods.

"Yes it does, right on the back."

Will twists quickly around, and reads the name "Estevan Gypsy" painted in silver across the back of the chair. He turns back around and thinks for a moment.

"Hmmm...how curious."

The crowd screams their appreciation as Will stands and looks sheepishly at Estevan.

"Well, I guess it is your chair."

Estevan can barely get out of Will's chair and into his own he's laughing so hard. It takes everyone a little while to calm completely down, the whole time of which Will is just grinning. Estevan finally gets his composure back and he's about to address Will, when Will cuts in.

"It's a very comfortable chair."

There's a ripple of laughter from the crowd as Estevan nods.

"It is isn't it?"

Will nods.

"Although this one isn't bad either."

Estevan decides it's time to get the interview going and so he asks Will a question.

"Are you this funny all the time?"

Will looks confused.

"What do you mean funny? Are you insulting me?"

Estevan holds up his hands defensively.

"Not in the least! What I meant was...oh nevermind."

The crowd chuckles as Estevan comically shakes his head.

"So Will, what are your thoughts on being reaped along with your sister?"

Will thinks for a moment.

"Well...I don't think the odds were in our favor."

Estevan nods.

"No indeed. How are you handling it?"

Will shrugs.

"As well as I can I suppose. She's my big sister and I love her very much."

Estevan puts a hand to his heart and the crowd "awws" again.

"We can all see she loves you very much as well."  
Will nods.

"You know what's bad about that though?"

Estevan shakes his head. Will glances at me, then looks at the crowd.

"We both love each other so much we would die for each other...but if we're both sacrificing ourselves, it makes it all pointless."

There's silence from the crowd, they're hanging on his every word. Will turns to look at me, as he continues.

"I know Mags is going to try her hardest to get me home...and I also know that I'm going to be doing the same for her. It looks like we're stuck, and I don't know what we're going to do."

There are a few sniffs and sobs from the crowd, and Estevan wipes a tear from his cheek.

"Well...I guess the only thing we can do is to hope."

Will looks at him, and smiles slightly.

"Hope...it's one of the most powerful things in the world. With just a little hope people can move mountains, cross oceans and go through the impossible, with a lot of hope, there's nothing that can't be done, and there's nothing that can stop a common hope."

The crowd is deadly silent, and for a few moments you could hear a pin drop. Then Estevan says.  
"Where did you learn that?"

I have to wipe tears from my eyes, because I recognise what he just said, although I don't know where he heard it from.

"My mother used to say that...my dad told it to me when he said goodbye."

His reply only makes more tears flow, and I wipe them quickly, hoping my makeup isn't smearing. There are more sobs and sniffles from the crowd, and I think they feel genuinely moved by these simple words. Estevan takes the interview into a more lighthearted topic.

"So Will. A six in training? That's impressive. Any hints on how you got it?"

Will gets a little smile on his face as he says.

"Well...let's just say I won't be helpless in the arena."

He turns to look at the gamemakers in a balcony and says mischievously.

"And let me add maybe I was holding back a bit."  
The gamemakers look surprised, and Estevan laughs.

"Ooh, so we have another possible underestimated one."

The buzzer sounds, and Will is jumping up, shaking Estevan's hand and waving at the crowd.

"Don't write me off just yet!"

He shouts as he returns to his seat. I give him a hug and laugh.  
"You were amazing."  
I say. He shrugs and grins. The rest of the interviews seem to go by fairly quickly and I don't pay much attention to them. I start to pay attention again when Patricia takes her seat. Her tight black curls are tied with a ribbon, and she's dressed in a dark brown dress that falls to the floor. Her angle is friendly and dangerous. She lets Estevan know that she can take care of herself, and he says he doesn't doubt it.

Next Troy takes the stage, Estevan asks him about his scars, and Troy looks down at his arms briefly.

"Well, I've been working in the forests for years, some of them are from that, but most of them happened when my house collapsed. Wood splinters easily and so I got slashed up pretty bad when I dug out my little sister."

The crowd expresses their sympathy and Estevan asks quickly.

"Was she alright?"

Troy nods.

"She was trapped under a mattress, so she avoided being seriously hurt."

When his time is up, Lola is called to the stage. She is cute and funny, and the crowd falls instantly in love with her. She tells Estevan that she is an only child, and her parents love her very much. She talks about how amazing the capitol is, and she secretively says that she has more to her than meets the eye.

After that I zone out until I hear Melinda's name being called. She walks onstage in a dark purple dress that stops just below her knees. Estevan compliments her hair, and asks about the white streak. Melinda runs her hand over her dark hair, brushing past the white streak on the right side.

"It's genetic, my mother has one, and my grandmother too."  
Estevan nods.

"Well it's beautiful."

They move on to talk about other things, and I am surprised to hear Melinda say.

"Do you want to know a secret?"

Estevan leans forward and nods. Melinda tells him confidentially.  
"You know how people say snakes can hypnotize their prey?"

Estevan nods.

"Well, mother says I was gifted with hypnotist eyes. I find if I try hard enough, I can make people think I can read their mind."  
Estevan looks surprised.

"Really?"

He says in disbelief, she nods.

"I'll prove it."

She starts to stare into his eyes, and within several minutes they are locked in a stare. Estevan seems unable to look away. Melinda moves her head slightly to the left, and Estevan automatically follows. Melinda looks away and Estevan gasps.  
"That's amazing! I felt helpless."  
Melinda grins.

"Well I've never had a reason to use it...until now."

The buzzer sounds, leaving her interview on a foreboding note. Steel is called next, and he looks intimidating in a completely black outfit. His hair is not styled, leaving it to hang in its heavy waves. He brushes the hair out of his eyes, revealing his dead eye and scar.

"Do you mind if I ask where you got that scar?"

Steel smiles.

"not at all."  
He says in his slow drawl.

"District ten as you know, is the livestock district, my family raises chickens. I was trying to move a rooster, when it attacked me."

He runs a finger down his scar.

"He got my across the eye with his spur, I can still see out of it, but it's just shadows now."  
Estevan nods.

"What happened to the rooster?"

Steel shrugs slightly, replying in a casual tone.  
"I wrung its neck. I've gotten quite good at wringing necks."  
I shiver, knowing that he would probably have no issues twisting a tributes neck. After all, he could just think of it as another chicken. The interviews finish and we exit the stage. Dash is waiting to pick us up and he takes us back to our floor in the training center. We talk for a little while, him giving Will and I instructions on what to do once we're in the arena, what strategies we should use and so on. After he tells us everything that we should know, he tells us to go to bed.

"Get some sleep, you won't rest well in the arena so it's best to get as much good sleep as you can."  
Will yawns and quickly goes to bed, I stay behind to talk to Dash alone.

"Mags, you should get sleep..."  
I cross my arms.

"Like I'm going to be able to sleep tonight anyway. I need to talk to you."

He nods.

"Alright. Go ahead."  
I take a deep breath.

"I'm not planning on coming out of the arena."  
Dash nods.

"I know."  
I shake my head.

"But you haven't accepted it."

He shrugs.  
"Dash, you have to help Will, and I'm not just talking about in the arena, when you go back home you need to help him okay?"

He looks surprised.

"What do you mean? Why me? Won't your family and Felix be able to do that?"

I ignore the way he says Felix's name and continue.  
"They will, but they don't know what he's been through...you will."  
He thinks for a moment.

"You want me to relate to him?"

I shake my head.  
"You will relate to him. Please help him? Consider it a favor for me."

He hesitates then nods slowly.

"Alright I promise."

I smile and give him a hug.  
"You don't know how much that means to me, I can't ever repay you."  
I release him and take a step back. He looks at the floor as he says quietly.

"You could."  
I look confused.

"I could what?"

He hesitates.

"I know how you could repay me."

I hate being in anyones debt, so I ask quickly.  
"How?"

He slowly lifts his grey eyes to look in mine. When he replies, his voice is barely above a whisper.

"Kiss me."

We stand looking at each other for a minute.

"Consider it a last request."

He says with a small smile. I think for a long minute, then I step forward and curl my fingers around the back of his head and kiss him. I feel like I owe him that much, and I feel sorry for him because I honestly believe he cares about me. So this is my way of saying I'm sorry for not coming back.

He gently holds my face in his hands and kisses me back. The kiss lasts for about ten seconds, then I slowly pull away.

"Now we're even?"

He smiles.

"Now we're even."

I turn around and walk to my room, closing the door behind me and quickly changing into pajamas. I lay in bed for a while, thinking about Felix. Kissing Dash isn't the same as kissing Felix. Probably because I don't love Dash, but I love Felix more than anything. I wish I could give him one last kiss.

Suddenly I hear a knock on the door. I get up and open it to find Will standing in his pajamas. He looks scared, and he sniffs.

"I don't want to be alone Mags...I'm scared."  
I pull him into my arms and hold him tightly.

"I don't want to be alone either."

We crawl into bed and he cuddles up next to me.

"I wish we could just go home...I wish I was as brave as you."  
I kiss the top of his head.

"Will, I'm terrified. But I know that we can get through this."

He ends up falling asleep, and I'm glad he's able to get some rest. After all...he's gonig to need it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everyone!**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but there was something that kind of threw my whole week off.**

**And now I'm in Chicago! (I'm on a trip, will be home on Saturday) But anyway, that's one of the reasons I haven't updated in a while.**

**Well I am now, so I hope you all aren't too mad.**

**I have to give this chapter a lot of thought since it's going to be the first in the games...Dun, dun, dun!**

**So anyway, here it is and I hope you all like it!**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: This is the beginning of the end.**

I wake up to find Will curled up in a tight ball right beside me. He's clutching onto my arm, and he has his face is pressed against my shoulder. His breathing is calm though, and his face is peaceful.

I look at the clock, and see it's around five in the morning. And that's when I remember...

Today the games begin.

I feel a lump rise in my throat and I look down at my little brother. How can I wake him from his dreams? Where he's living a happy life, with no cares and no worries. How can I wake him up to tell him that we are have to get ready for hell.

He has to make it out alive...he _has_ to. He'll be fine without me...they all will. Felix will make it alright won't he? There's no other way around this, I've made up my mind. No matter what it takes, Will is going to win, which means within the next week, I'm going to die.

"Mags?"

I look towards the door, and see Dash standing holding the door open. Pain crosses his face when he sees Will curled up next to me. He clears his throat and says quietly.

"Time to get ready."

I nod, and with one last look he closes the door. I wait another minute, before gently brushing the dark curls out of Will's face. He stirs slightly, and I whisper quietly.

"Will, you need to wake up."

He grogily opens his eyes, and squints at me.

"Mags? What's going on?"

I try to answer him, but my voice chokes. He sits up, and realization dawns on his face. He gives me a small, sad smile and puts his hand on my cheek.

"We're going to be alright...I promise I'll look after you."

This brings tears to my eyes, but before they can run to my cheeks, Will frowns at me comically.

"Mags, you said you wouldn't cry! It makes your pretty eyes sad..."

I can't help smiling, and I blink away the tears quickly. I grab him and wrap my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"I won't cry if you don't want me to."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

He makes a small gasping sound, and taps me on the back.

"Uh Mags?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could lay off crushing me?"

I laugh and let him go. He grins and rubs his ribs.

"That's better. Now I don't know about you, but I want some breakfast!"

He hops out of bed and offers his hand to help me up as he continues.

"After all, we don't know when the next time we'll get a chance to eat is."

I smile, take his hand, and he pulls me out of bed. He doesn't let go of my hand as he pulls me to the door.

"Come on big sis, I'm starving."

He pulls me into the dining room, where we find Dash and Pixie waiting for us. Will greets them cheerfully.

"Good morning! Do we have time for some breakfast?"

Pixie looks surprised, and for the first time she seems speechless. Dash just smiles and shakes his head.

"You've got about an hour before we take you to the hovercraft."

Will promptly sits down and pushes the button that calls a server.

"Oh good, that gives us just enough time to eat."

A server arrives, looking slightly mystified, and his face becomes even more confused when Will orders a large breakfast for two. He nods though, and disappears into the kitchen. Will pats the seat next to him and gives me a smile.

"Come on Mags, join me for breakfast."

I smile and take my usual seat. He grins at Pixie who has taken a seat across from him, and they start chattering happily to each other. Dash sits across from me, but remains silent. He's probably thinking about the games.

I glance at him, and find he's staring at me. I raise my eyebrows questioningly, and after a moment he leans forward and whispers.

"Can I talk to you...alone?"

I glance at Pixie and Will, then look back at him and nod. He pushes back his chair and stands up, I follow suit.

"Where are you going?"

Will asks, suddenly sounding a little scared. I give him a smile and ruffle his curls.

"Don't worry, I'll be right back okay? I can't miss breakfast now can I?"

He glances at Dash, then back at me. After a moment's pause, he gives me a small smile.

"Okay...don't be late."

I bend down and kiss his forehead.

"I won't. Promise."

I follow Dash to his room, and close the door behind me. He walks over and motions for me to sit on the bed. I expect him to sit as well, but he remains standing. His face is creased in an anxious frown, and he keeps clenching and un-clenching his hands. After about a minute of silence, I clear my throat and say.

"Um...did you want to talk? Or just stand there twitching?"

He doesn't smile, and this worries me.

"Dash?"

He suddenly turns to me, pain in his eyes.

"Mags please don't..."  
he trails off, and swallows hard, staring at the floor. I feel a tightness in my chest, and a pit in my stomach. I look down at my hands that are resting on my lap, and start twisting my fingers.

"Dash, you know where I stand."

He's silent, so I continue.

"Will is going to win. Which means I have to-"

My voice chokes, but I quickly finish the sentence.

"-die."

I continue to stare at my hands, trying not to think about that one little word. Dash's voice wavers slightly as he says.

"Mags...Will doesn't have a chance..."

I look up, my eyes furious as I snap at him angrily.

"Yes he does! He has a better chance than I do!"

He's about to say something, but I cut him off.

"No! Shut up and listen to me! Will is fast, and smart and he can hide! He knows how to survive and he can defend himself! So don't you dare tell me he doesn't have a chance! I'm the one who doesn't have a chance!"

His face hardens, and he snaps back at me.  
"That's your choice!"

"Yes! _My_ choice!"

This stops him, and the anger fades from his face, replaced by pain.

"Mags...it doesn't have to be this way."

I shake my head and look back down at my hands.

"Yes. It does."

I feel him sit on the bed beside me, and I slide slightly towards him as his weight tilts the mattress.

"Why does it have to be?"

I look up at him and say angrily.

"Because he's my little brother! I love him and it's my job to look out for him. Are you suggesting that I leave him to fend for himself? I'm sorry Dash, but not everyone is as cold-hearted as you."

He stares at me like I just slapped him in the face, and I regret what I said.

"Dash...I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't mean it..."

I stammer, unable to hold his gaze, I drop my eyes to the floor. After a moment, he says in a low voice.

"No...you're right."

I look at him out of the corner of my eye, and I see him drop his head, closing his eyes.

"What I did was...I don't even know the words to describe it. I should never have asked you to try and win...I would never want you to carry what I do."

I resist the urge to comfort him, and just say.

"Good...so we understand each other."

He doesn't answer, so we sit in silence for a few moments.

"I was just...I guess I was just hoping for the impossible."

I look at him and say quietly.

"Dash, that would never happen even if I did win."

He lifts his head and meets my eyes, his grey ones looking bright silver with unshed tears, but his voice is steady as he says.

"That's not what I was hoping...well I guess part of me was. But I was hoping that you would be able to go home, marry Felix and have a family."

I can't help the shock that crosses my face, and I just stare at him. He looks at the carpet.

"I...I want you to be happy...and if it's not with me, you deserve to have love in your life. You deserve to be happy."

I just stare at him, too shocked to speak. He must really love me...has he never had someone in his life? Someone to hold his hand and share memories with? He looks so lonely all the time, now that I think about it. Sure he has fame and popularity in the capitol, but they're hardly people at all, and they don't really care about him. At home he's considered a traitor, killing his own district partner and friending the capitol.

"Dash?"

He lifts his head and turns to me. I hesitate for a brief second, then slowly lean forward and kiss him. After a few moments, I pull away. He still has his eyes closed, and his brow creases in a slight frown.

"What was that for?"

He asks quietly. I shrug, and look at the floor.

"I'm sorry...for what I have to do."

He doesn't say anything, so I turn to him with a smile.  
"Why? Did you not want me to kiss you?"

He smiles and shakes his head.

"No, not at all. Just wondered why."

I nod seriously.

"Okay good."

He grins and leans forward slightly.

"You can kiss me again if you want."  
I push him away and laugh.

"Once was enough, thanks."  
He puts on a hurt face and says indignantly.

"Why do you say that?"

I stand up and sigh.

"Because I don't want to feel like I'm cheating on Felix."

He nods, and stands up as well.  
"Oh right. Well I guess I'll just have to make do with the memory."

I give him a smile.

"Yep. Come on, Will is going to be mad if I miss breakfast."

We walk back to the dining room, just as the last platter of food is being set on the table. Will cries out when he sees us, and motions to the laden table.

"Look at this! Just in time I'd say. Come on and eat before it gets cold."

Dash and I sit down, loading our plates with food. He warns Will and I not to eat rich foods, but stock up on healthy foods that will keep us full longer. So we eat mountains of sausage, bacon, fruit, eggs, some strange veggies and just a little bit of bread. Dash then makes us drink what seems like gallons of water, saying that it's better to be over-hydrated now, and last longer in the arena.

Soon Pixie glances at the clock, and says quietly.

"The hovercraft is going to be here..."

Her voice wavers slightly, and she sniffs.

"I...I have to go do...something."

She jumps up, gives Will and I a quick kiss on the cheek and flees the room, a sob escaping from her throat as the door closes behind her. I feel sorry for her, because I think she's grown quite attached to the two of us, especially Will. But everyone like him, you can't help but fall in love with his dark curls, bright blue eyes and wonderful personality.

Will looks at me with sad eyes.

"Do you think she'll be alright?"

I look at him and give him a sad smile. That's why everyone loves him, he's about to be thrown into an arena with twenty-two other people who will be trying their hardest to kill him, and he's worried that a silly young lady from the capitol will be upset when we die.

"She'll be fine."  
Dash says quietly, giving Will a smile. Will turns his big blue eyes to Dash, and he says.

"Will you make sure she's alright?"

Dash nods. Will turns to me and sighs.

"I guess we'd better go..."

He looks at Dash with a frown.

"Where is the hovercraft going to pick us up?"

Dash points towards the ceiling.

"The roof."

Will slowly stands up and grabs my hand.

"Come on Mags...we don't want to be late."

Dash leads us to the elevator, and we board the car silently. The button for the roof is pressed, and the elevator starts to move up. Right before we stop at the roof, Dash presses a button that stops the elevator, and turns to us with a dead serious expression.

"Listen up you two, your best chance at surviving is to stick together and get as far away from the other tributes as possible alright? Find somewhere in the arena that's remote, has a source of water nearby and can be either defended or has an easy escape route."

Will and I nod, and Dash continues.  
"Always be on the lookout for other tributes, and if you can avoid a fight, do. Don't fight unless it's completely necessary. Now the blood bath is going to be brutal, I want you two to both stay clear of it. Run in the opposite direction, stay together and don't stop running until you think you're miles away."

Will suddenly cuts in.

"Dash, I want to try and get at least on supply bag from the cornucopia. We'll have a better chance at surviving if we have something to help."

Dash shakes his head.

"Do not go to the cornucopia. It's too dangerous, especially with the careers out for your blood."

Will pouts.

"I'm fast, they'd never even see me. I'll just snag something that's far away from the cornucopia, alright?"

Dash thinks for a long moment.

"I can't stop you, but I want you to be very careful, don't take any unicicary risks, you'd have a better chance of surviving without anything, but if you're determined to try...just be fast."

Will nods. Then Dash turns to me.

"Mags, you need to watch Will's back when he's getting supplies alright? Shout out if he's in any danger. Then you both get as far away from the cornucopia as possible."

I nod and the elevator moves the last couple of feet before the doors slide open and we're on the roof. Will looks up as a hovercraft seems to appear out of nowhere and slowly lowers a couple of ladders. Dash turns to us, and after a moment nods.

"Remember everything I told you. Find water, a good hideout, and always stay alert, no unciciary risks."

Will runs forward and flings his arms around Dash's waist, hugging him tightly. Dash is temporarily stunned, but after a few seconds gently hugs Will back.

"Thank you Dash."  
Will says quietly, then he stretches up on tip-toe, and whispers something in Dash's ear. I see pain cross his face, but he gives Will a small smile and nods.

Will takes a few steps back, leaving me to say goodbye. We stand awkwardly for a minute, then Dash opens his arms, and I am instantly in them, holding onto him tightly and burying my face in his chest. He smells like sunshine and sea spray, he smells like home. A place I'll never see again.

No tears, I can't cry. Dash holds me tightly, and rests his face in my hair.

"I'll look after him Mags. I promise."

I just nod. Not wanting to let go, not wanting to leave his protective embrace. I finally let him go, and step back, blinking back my tears as I give him a small nod.

"Goodbye Dash."

He doesn't stop the tear that runs down his cheek as he gives me a smile.

"Goodbye Mags."

I turn and grab onto Will's hand, pulling him to the hovercraft's waiting ladders. The instant we grab hold of the rungs, our body's are frozen to the ladders with an electric current, and we are pulled swiftly into the waiting hovercraft. While we're frozen to the ladders, two women in white suits come up with scary looking medical contraptions.

"We're just going to insert your trackers."

One of the women explains as she sets the point of the object onto the middle of my arm. There's a sharp pain and then she pulls away the machine.

"There you go, now we'll be able to keep track of you in the arena."

They walk off, and we're freed from the ladders. There's a couple of empty seats next to each other, and Will and I quickly sit down and strap in. The hovercraft starts to move, and we're off to who knows where.

After a little while, I notice Will rubbing his arm. I hold his hand and ask.

"Is it hurting?"

He shrugs.

"Not really, it just feels weird...I don't like having a piece of the capitol in me."

I look down at the small lump on my arm. I had never thought of it that way before. Will and I keep tight hold of each others hand, and wait for the craft to land.

I look around at the other tributes, and see that most of them are looking more and more terrified, although the careers almost look...eager. I shudder. I catch sight of Steel looking at me, his dead eye partially hidden by his dark hair. I wonder what he's thinking, and then I see his gaze is directed at Will and my linked hands. Does he feel sorry for us?

I don't have time to think further as the hovercraft suddenly lands, and we are lowered into an underground building. We find a long hallway, with twenty-four doors. Each door holds the name of a tribute and their District number. I find my door first, but pass it and help Will find his. We pause outside the door marked, "Will Flint. D4"

"I'm the only tribute to ever see the inside of this room..."  
He says quietly, then he gives me a tight hug.

"Will, when we get in the arena, you find where my pedestal is alright? I'll help you grab some supplies and then you run with me alright? Don't stop for anything."

He nods.

"Alright...I'll see you soon."

He nods again, but doesn't loosen his grip at all.

"Will...I need to get to my room."  
"I'm scared Mags...so scared."

I squeeze him tightly and say quietly.

"I know...I am too. But we have each other right? We'll be fine."  
He lets out a heavy sigh, and finally lets me go, turns to his door, and walks through. I quickly walk back to my room and find Bojo waiting for me. He gives me a small hug and helps me dress in the arena outfit.

It consists of, dark brown pants made out of a tough material, a forest green short-sleeve shirt, a heavy-duty jacket that is surprisingly thin, which is a mottled pattern of green and brown. A pair of leather boots completes the outfit.

Bojo quickly puts my hair in a high pony-tail and says quickly.

"The outfit is very durable, and made for tough weather conditions, so be prepared for cold, severe heat and maybe even thunderstorms. The coloring suggests that the arena is heavily wooded, so there will be plenty of places to hide."

I nod, my nerves are starting to make me stiffen. Bojo must sense this, because he gives me a small smile and says.

"Once you're in there, instinct will kick in."

I manage to gasp out.

"instinct?"

He nods.

"Survival, and motherly instincts. Your senses will be heightened, and you'll be able to protect you little brother."

I manage a small smile.  
"Thank you, for everything."  
He shrugs, and blinks away a tear.

"Oh nonsense, I did hardly anything."

I give him a hug.

"But what you did was everything. You know I'm not planning on coming out right?"

He nods.

"I knew it all along. I'll never forget you."  
I give him a smile, then I hear the ominous voice echo through the room.

"Tributes, ready on your pedestals."

Bojo gives my hand a squeeze and leads me to a large glass tube. I step inside, and a glass panel slides over the opening. I feel the floor beneath me start to rise, and I glimpse Bojo's wave before I'm pushed up into blinding sunlight.

* * *

**Authors Note: I know it's not very long, but I've been super busy and it's late :P But I will hopefully get another chapter up on Saturday, since I will be coming home than. But if not I'll be sure to post on Sunday.**

**(sorry for the cliffhanger)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Bonjour!**

**There really isn't a good excuse as to why I haven't updated...**

**I guess the lack of reviews and such has been just the least bit disheartening :( but thank you to everyone who has reviewed!**

**Well, I have been busy, what with getting back from Chicago and trying to get back into the swing of things, so mostly I just haven't wanted to stay up super late writing...**

**But It's my Birthday today! (yay) and my present to myself is to put special time aside to write :)**

**(so I guess in a way I'm giving all of you a present as well!)**

**I hope you like it!**

**Oh! Really quick, I am going to create a contest! (I love doing this) Here it is.**

**Since today is my birthday, I want all of you that read this guess how old I am ;) Leave your guess in the form of a review or PM.**

**(any of you that actually know how old I am, don't spoil it!)**

**The winner of the contest, gets to ask me a question about the story, which I will have to answer! Or can request something...I don't really know what. But I think it will be fun to see what age you all will guess. ;) I will post my age on the next chapter, or I might just PM the winner, and then all of you will never know! Hahaha! :P**

**So anyway, here's the story and I hope you guys will leave a review!**

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: The arena...**

For a few minutes I can't see anything, my eyes slowly adjust to the sudden light and I get my first look at the arena. What I see takes my breath away.

I can see the cornucopia about a hundred feet in front of me, in the semi-circle of twenty-four metal pedestals, I am over on the middle left side. I quickly take note of where the tributes are.

I can see Will, about seven pedestals to my right, he catches my eye and gives me a small smile. How he can be so calm is beyond me, I guess that's just how he is. He told me one time that he can smile at any time, even when he's sad or hurting, because there's always going to be someone that could use a friendly smile.

I return the smile, knowing it will cheer him up if I appear happy and calm like he is. When the truth is I am terrified out of my mind. I distract my mind by identifying the rest of the tributes.

Immediately to my left is the girl from three; Rosa, she's looking around scared, and it looks like she's trying to decide what to do. Her district partner, Milo, is on the far left, about three away from her. He catches her eye and gives her a look, she calms down and nods ever so slightly.

directly to my right is the girl from five I think, although I'm not sure. I can see the Careers over near Will, which is making me nervous. But they seem to be more interested in getting to the cornucopia.

"Thirty seconds."

I hear the mechanical voice echo through the arena, and I feel myself tense. I briefly spot Steel and Patricia next to each other on my left, and I think Troy and Melinda are somewhere on my right.

"Twenty seconds."

Suddenly there's a frantic cry of panic, and I turn towards the sound. It's the girl from twelve, small, all bones, and terrified. She lets out another scream, and bolts off her platform. I hear one of the tributes try to warn her, but it's too late.

There's an explosion, and blood sprays everywhere. The tributes next to her platform are covered in it. I see Will's right side has been covered in blood, and he's staring in shock at the gruesome remains of the girl. Suddenly he turns to look at me, and seeing my frightened expression, he turns his attention away from the dead girl and towards the cornucopia.

I look around the arena, and all I see are trees. Not normal trees either, giant trees. The smallest ones have trunks at least twenty feet in diameter, and they stretch up for hundreds of feet. I wonder if they are natural, or some capitol creation.

"Ten...nine...eight...seven."

I turn my attention back to Will, and see he's staring intently on a large pack about twenty feet in front of him. Ignoring the blood covering him. There's also a thick leather belt full of knives a little further on, and he looks like he has his eye on those as well. I remember what Dash said about protecting him, so I decide to go for the knives.

"Three...two...one."

The loud buzzer sounds and I launch myself off my platform. I ignore the other tributes, and cut across the platforms, heading parallel to the cornucopia, straight towards Will. I see he's already at the pack, and he's halfway to a small pile of supplies that are loose on the ground. He slides to a stop beside them and starts stuffing them in the pack as fast as he can.

I reach the belt of knives, and pick it up as I run for Will. I can see the careers at the cornucopia, and several tributes that were foolish enough to try for the best supplies. Their screams begin to fill the air as the careers, now equiped with their weapons of choice, begin the bloodbath.

"Mags look out!"

I hear Will's scream, and instinctively dodge to the side. I hear a blade whistle past my head, and as I fall to the ground, I pull out a long knife and spin around. I just have time to sink my knife into the chest of the boy from six before he swings his dagger at me again.

He gasps and looks down at the knife protruding from his chest. Blood runs from his mouth as he falls to the ground. I stare in shock at his wide open eyes, staring at the sky, but empty. He'll never see the sun or stars again, he'll never laugh or hug someone he loves, he'll never feel the grass beneath his feet again.

A sob chokes me, and I start to hyperventilate. I look down at the blood on my hands and start to gasp.

"I...I'm sorry...I...It...oh please forgive me! I...I didn't mean to..."

But the boys eyes are empty, unforgiving voids. And he will never be able to answer.

"Mags we have to go! The careers are going to come after us!"

I'm snapped back to reality when I feel Will tugging on my shirt. I look up at his face, once innocent and child like, now covered in blood, his curls beginning to mat as the red liquid begins to clot. He has a light in his eyes that I've never seen before, and it makes me ache inside, knowing that being in the arena for less than a minute has already changed him.

"We have to go! Grab the dagger."

He points to the dead boys dagger and pulls me to my feet. The sudden realization that I still have to protect him shuts my mind down of anything but survival. I grab the dagger and Will's hand, then we both bolt for the trees. Get as far away from the cornucopia as you can. Find Water. Avoid any conflict.

Dash's instructions run through my head on a loop as we run. I hand Will the knife belt, and take the heavy pack from him. I sling it onto my back and shove my arms through the straps. Now we really start running, my long strides cover more ground than Will's, but he's faster, so we run at the same pace.

I don't know how long we are running for, but I don't feel tired, it must be the adrenaline. Will and I keep up a breakneck pace until we must be miles from the cornucopia. Finally we start to slow down, coming to a stop near a giant fallen tree.

"How far away do you think we are?"

Will asks a little breathlessly. I shake my head as I pant, looking around.

"I don't know, miles. We shouldn't stop yet though."

Will nods, looking around as well.

"Do you see the trees? I wonder why they're so big."

I shrug.

"I don't know. Good cover though, and there will be plenty of good campsites around. We need to find water."

He nods.

"That might be pretty hard, I bet the roots from the trees go underground for miles."

This thought hadn't crossed my mind, and I wonder if we'll be able to find water at all.

"I didn't think of that."  
Will nods.  
"Well, if anyone in this arena can find water, it's us."

I smile and nod.

"Which way do you think we should go?"

He frowns and turns in a circle, finally pointing to our right.

"That way."

I shift the pack on my shoulders slightly and start walking.  
"Let's go then."

Will has fastened the belt around his waist, and I still have the dagger from the dead boy, so we will be able to defend ourselves if we come across another tribute. After an hour or so Will suddenly says.

"I bet Patricia and Troy do well in this arena, since they live in District seven."

I nod.

"Probably. They might know the best way to survive in a forest. Maybe even know how to find water easier."

Will wrinkles his nose.  
"We're from District Four, water runs through our veins."

I laugh quietly.

"Well we should be able to find it easy than."

After another hour, Will stops and holds up his hand.

"What is it?"

I ask quietly, but then I hear it.

"Water."

Will whispers with a smile. We decide to approach the water cautiously, you never know what the gamemakers have in store, or there could be another tribute around.

We encounter no problems, and soon we are standing on the bank of a large river. The water is running fast and strongly over rocks and roots that reach out into the rapids.

"I bet no one would try and cross this."  
Will says. I look on the other side of the river, and see that the forest looks the same.

"Do you think we should try to find a way across?"

He shrugs.

"We might have a less chance of being found. If anyone can do it, it's us."

I sigh and look at the churning water.

"Let's try and find some way to cross before attempting to swim though."

He chuckles and points upstream.

"I was thinking that root would work."

I look to where he's pointing, and see that one tree is closer to the bank than the others, and one of its thick roots is stretched across the stream to the other bank, forming a rough bridge. We investigate the root, and find its solid, if a bit slippery.

"Well, do you want to go first?"

I laugh at Will's comment, and say.

"Oh well thank you."  
He grins and shrugs.

"Just trying to be polite, ladies first and all that."

I sigh and step out onto the root.

"Try it on your hands and knees."

He says helpfully as I slip slightly. I drop to all fours and start to crawl across. I make painfully slow progress, and the roar of the river constantly reminds me on how dangerous this really is. Finally I make it to the other side and practically hug the solid ground.

I stand up and turn around.  
"Will, you ready?"

He nods, looking a little nervously at the water.

"Think of it as training."  
I shout encouragingly. He nods and steps out onto the root, after a few steps he seems to relax and walks more confidently. He's almost to the other side when I glance upstream.

"Will!"

The scream escapes my lungs before I can think about it, but thankfully most of the sound was deadened by the river. Will looks upstream, and sees the cause for my distress. There's a giant log crashing and tumbling down the river, heading straight for the root.

Will scrambles towards me, slipping slightly on the root, he drops to all fours and clings to the root.

"Jump!"

The log is almost at the root when Will stands up and leaps for the bank. The log crashes into the root, shaking the bank and filling the air with a loud crack. I lunge for Will's outstretched arms, and grab his hands as they slip off the bank. He's dangling half in the water, and it's taking all my strength to keep him from being pulled away.

"Don't let go!"

I shout above the river. He clings tightly to my arms, and pulls himself half out of the water. I feel around frantically with my foot, and suddenly my toe comes in contact with a root. I wedge my foot behind it and pull away from the river. As soon as he's able to, Will scrambles up onto the bank, and lays gasping beside me.

"Well...at least I got most of the blood off."

I can't help laughing, and Will giggles as well. It helps relieve some of the stress hanging on the air and I help him up.

"Yeah, let's not do that again."  
He shakes his wet curls.

"Definitely not. Man that water was cold!"

He starts shivering a little, and I notice for the first time the lack of sunlight. It's light on the forest floor, but the towering trees with their immense tops block out most of the sun.

"Let's find somewhere to set up camp and we'll make a fire okay?"

Will nods and we start off. Not too far from the river we find a small creek that runs off the main river and decide to set up camp near there. Will finds a little space in between several trees and we both decide that it's as good a spot as any to set up camp. I gather some dry sticks and pile them in the middle of the clearing. Then I pull the pack off my shoulders.

"Let's see what we got."  
I say cheerfully. I set the large pack on the ground, and unzip the main compartment. Inside is a large sleeping bag, a medium sized tarp, a small box of matches, a coil of rope, a bottle of iodine, two large packs of dried beef, several cans of stew, a can opener, a large canteen, and several coils of bandages.

In the smaller compartment is a small vial of sleep syrup, a needle and medical thread, and a package of crackers.

"I think most of the medicine and the matches were the extra stuff I grabbed."  
Will says thoughtfully as he sorts through the stuff. I smile and ruffle his curls.  
"Great job, we're set for a while with these supplies."

I immediately get to work improving our campsite by using the tarp to make a small lean-to on one side of the clearing. I set the sleeping bag underneath it as well as the backpack. Will gets a small fire started and lays his jacket, boots and socks out to dry. I roughly disguise the tarp and join him at the fire.

"It's getting dark."

Will murmurs as he scoots closer to me. I put my arm around him and rub his shoulder, trying to keep him warm.

"We must have been running longer than we thought."

He nods.

"Are you hungry?"

He shakes his head.

"I'm not really hungry."

I nod. I'm not really either, and we can afford not to eat tonight since we had a large breakfast this morning. We sit in silence as the night closes in, once it's completely dark, we hear the anthem begin to play.

"They're going to show who died today."

Will says quietly, and I can tell he's worried about Lola. I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and turn my eyes to the sky. I see the capitol seal in a clearing of leaves above us. After a moment, the faces start to appear.

The girl from District Five appears first. She was only fourteen. Her name was Betty. Her District partner; Nick, appears next. The waiting for their families is now over. They will lock themselves in their houses, and try to find a way to get through their loss.

The next to appear is the boy I killed...the boy from six. The vision of him staring at the sky is forever burned into my memory, as is his name; Harry.

Both tributes from District nine are next, which means Lola survived the first day. The girl from District nine's name was Hyacinth, and the boy was Edward.

District eleven lost Elizabeth, their girl tribute. Then both from district twelve. Abigail, the girl who was blown up, and Aspen. The anthem ends, and the sky goes dark once more.

"Lola made it through the first day."

Will nods.

"I almost wish she hadn't..."

I nod. I know what he's thinking, the longer she's alive, the more chances grow of us meeting her...and possibly having to kill her. Although I know I could never do that.

"Why don't you get some sleep? I'm not tired and the first watch is the hardest anyway."

Will looks at me uncertainty.

"Are you sure?"

I nod and give him a smile.

"Go on, I'll wake you in a few hours."

He finally crawls into the sleeping bag and falls asleep. I find a suitable stick nearby, and start whittling it into a lance. Thoughts of Felix and home run through my mind as I listen to the late night sounds. I wonder what my family is doing right now? Felix is most likely at my house, with his eyes locked to the screen. I wonder if he's looked away at all...my father is probably convincing Leroy to go to bed, telling him that Will is asleep, and I won't let anything happen to him.

My father is probably trying to get Felix to sleep as well, or even eat. The thought of Felix's eyes glued to the screen watching me, willing me to be alright, gives me an idea. I start to quietly hum a love song he taught me one day, it's sort of our song.

I don't know if he's watching, if the screens are even on me, but I feel like somehow, he'll know I'm alright if I hum our song.

"Mags?"

I turn towards the lean-to, and see Will's wide eyes watching me.

"Can I stay up with you? I can't sleep..."

I nod and he crawls over and sits next to me. I continue to hum quietly, and after a minute he says quietly.

"Do you miss him terribly?"

I nod slowly. Will kisses my cheek and rests his head on my shoulder.

"I know he misses you too."

I nod.

"I know..."


	12. Chapter 12

**Hey everyone!**

**Hehehe...*nervous laughter* So! I have been...oh screw it, I'm not even going to try to make an excuse. :P**

**I am REALLY SORRY! Just so you all know, and I have been busy, I actually got back from a trip a couple of days ago. But anyway!**

**I don't really have anything majorly time-consuming coming up that I know of...so I shall try my hardest to update more regularly.**

**Once again I am inexplicably sorry, and I hope you all don't hate me too much...**

**So progressing in the story some huh? What do you guys think of the arena/games so far? I'd love to hear you thoughts and ideas.**

**There is going to be lots of action and suspense coming up, so prepare to be on the edge of your seats!**

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: A close encounter...of the career kind.**

_Mags, are you awake?_

_I can hear Felix's quiet voice in my ears, I am awake, but I don't let him know that, so I lay still and wait._

_"You're so cute when you sleep," I hear him say with a low chuckle, and I feel him brush a strand of hair out of my face. "Well, you're cute when you don't snore."_

_I open my eyes and sit bolt upright saying outraged._

_"I do not snore!" _

_He's wearing that perfect one-sided grin of his and looking at me with loving eyes. I'm glaring at him in reply, he laughs and brushes a stray blonde hair out of my face._

_"I know you don't, but I also know you weren't asleep."_

_I can't help smiling as he leans forward and gives me a kiss._

_"I can't stay mad at you."_

_I say as I run my fingers playfully through his black waves. He grins and rests his forehead against mine, dropping his voice to a whisper as he says._

_"I could never be mad at you."_

_He gives me another quick kiss._

_"I love you."_

I jerk awake at the sound of a cannon, and look around with sleep blurred eyes. The dream slowly fading away, and reality setting in like a thick cloud.

I am in the arena.

Will is in the arena too.

The careers want both of us dead...more than the other tributes.

I have to die.

I will never see Felix again.

I swallow the lump in my throat and blink away tears. I can't cry, I have to be strong. But the pain in my chest hurts so much. I'll never see Felix again.

"Mags? Are you alright?"

I look to my left and see Will sitting up sleepily, rubbing his eyes. I realize that despite my efforts, I started to cry. I wipe my cheeks, and sniff as I say quickly.

"Yes I'm fine. Just had a nightmare."

His dark curls are flying around his head like a halo, and he has some dirt smudged on his cheek.

"Oh...okay."

He says quietly, and I'm not sure if he believes me. To help show him that I'm fine, I stand up and brush my clothes off.

"Come on, let's get breakfast eh?"

He smiles and jumps up.

"Breakfast! That sounds great!"

He follows me closely as I walk over to the lean-to, and pull out our pack. I unzip the outer pocket where Will and I had stored all the food, and pull out the contents.

"Alright, we've got dried beef, some kind of stew, and crackers."

He smiles and looks around.

"Maybe we can find something around here to spice up the meal a little."

I laugh.

"Like what?"

He shrugs.

"I don't know, some roots, maybe some berries. That kind of thing."

I sigh and stand up.

"Alright, how about we look around for a little while, and whatever we find we'll have with some stew. Alright?"

Will nods and gathers some supplies eagerly.

"Great! Here you take a few knives, and I'll wear the belt."

He hands me a few long knives, then slides the belt on. I stick the knives in a couple of loops on the right thigh of my pant leg, and pick up my makeshift lance. Will grabs the canteen that we filled with water and purified with the iodine, and hooks it onto the belt.

"Ready to go?"

He asks brightly. I smile and nod.

"I'll lead the way?"

I nod again and we're off.

We walk for a while, moving away from the river, and deeper into the forest. The trees grow thicker and taller, if that's possible, and they grow closer together. There's more undergrowth as well, and soon our speed slows considerably. We've been mostly silent, keeping our eyes and ears open, constantly aware of our surroundings. Soon Will stops and looks around.

"What is it?"

He crouches and plucks a couple leaves and examines them closely.

"What is it?"

I repeat. Will hands me the leaves and smiles.

"It's mint! I told you I'd find something. Those will be refreshing to chew on after our stew."

I smile and smell the leaves, the fresh scent filling my sinuses.

"Mmmm, they smell wonderful! Here help me fill this pocket."

I unzip a pocket on the left thigh of my pants, and Will quickly fills it with the mint leaves. I zip shut the pocket and straighten up.

"Perfect. Do you see anything else around here?"

Will looks around, and suddenly lets out a little cry of joy and dashes into the undergrowth.

"Will! Come back!"

I shout as I chase him through the thick vines and broad leaves. I dig my feet into the soft ground to halt my progress as Will suddenly appears in front of me, I skid to a stop and almost run into him. He doesn't seem to notice as he smiles brightly and holds up a berry.

"Look Mags!"

I take the berry from him, and observe it carefully.

"Isn't this nightlock?"

I ask cautiously, Will laughs and shakes his head.

"Nope, its false nightlock, blueberries! They look a lot like nightlock, which is probably why so many people are mistaken and eat nightlock instead. There's a whole thicket of them!"

He's smiling broadly and pointing to a cluster of heavily laden bushes. I grin and pop the berry into my mouth. It's the slightest bit tart, but tastes wonderful.

"Let's get to work then. We'll use my jacket as a sack."

Will and I spend about an hour stripping the bushes of their ripe berries, and fill my jacket with them. Will offers to carry it, but I tell him he has to watch our back.

"Well I think we have enough for today don't you?"

He nods with a smile and we start back to camp. It takes us about an hour to make our way back to camp, but eventually we can see the three large trees grouped together.

"There's our-"

I stop suddenly and put a hand over Will's mouth. He goes rigid under my touch, and looks at me with questioning eyes. I slowly gesture with my head towards our camp. His eyes move towards the camp, and grow wide as he sees the scattered ashes from last nights fire, and the wrecked lean-to. Now that he knows to be silent, I slowly lower my hand. He leans close to my ear and whispers barely audibly.

"Did someone raid our camp?"

I shrug, and draw my two long knives.

"Wait here, if you hear me shout...run."

He's about to object when I turn and stare at him hard giving him my "no argument" look. He swallows hard and nods. I take a deep breath, and slowly creep towards the camp. I stop behind a bush about twenty feet from our camp, and watch carefully for any signs that whatever raided our camp is still there. All seems quiet, so I emerge from the bush and approach the camp.

Whatever or whoever came into our camp, seemed more interested in making a mess than actually taking anything. The lean-to is collapsed and the tarp is all bunched up. The ashes from last nights fire are scattered all around the camp, our backpack was dragged out from under the wrecked lean-to, and the contents are strewn around the camp as well.

"Mags? Is everything okay?"

Will's anxious call floats towards me across the still air. I turn to him and wave him over.

"Yeah, come and have a look."

He walks up and whistles quietly.

"What...who do you think did this?"

I shrug.

"I don't know, let's see if they took anything."

We gather the scattered supplies and put them in a pile. Before we take stock, I fix the lean-to and fix the fire. Then I walk over to Will and sit on the ground beside him and we check over our supplies.

"All the medical supplies are here."

Will says as he puts them in a small pile.

"Well that's good, those are probably the most valuable."

"Uh...I don't think so."

I look at him.  
"What?"

He looks at me with a mournful face.  
"The medical stuff isn't the most valuable thing we have...or had."

I scan the pile quickly, and my heart sinks as I realize what he means.

"All the food is gone..."

He nods sadly and picks up the can opener.

"We have everything else...but someone took all of our food."

I shake my head.

"Not someone, something. A tribute wouldn't have left matches and medical supplies behind. It looks like we're dealing with some sort of animal."

Will's eyes grow wide in fear.

"A mutt?"

I shrug.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out. You stay here and guard the camp alright? We can't afford to have anything else taken."

Will looks disappointed, but doesn't try to argue.  
"Hey cheer up, I'll be back soon I promise."

He looks me in the eyes, and his are scared as he whispers.

"You can't promise me that."

I feel guilt gnawing at my stomach, mixed with fear. But I push it away and ruffle his curls.  
"Don't worry, I'm going to follow Dash's instructions and not take any unnecessary risks. I will be back."

He nods, and grabs me in a tight hug.

"Be careful."

I hug him tightly and kiss the top of his head.

"That I can promise. See you soon."

He holds onto me for a little while longer, finally letting me go and giving me a tight smile.  
"I won't let anyone invade our campsite again."

I grin and wave to him as I start off after the tracks leading away from our camp. Soon I reach the edge of the river, and I can see on the other bank there is a label off one of the stolen cans. Clearly whatever Mutt the capitol has created to steal our food, was designed to lead one or both of us away from the safety of our camp. As far as I know, there aren't any other tributes beside Will and I on this side of the river. Being from district four, we are the only tributes skilled enough to brave the strong river. I look carefully around the opposite bank, and then find the thick root that spans the river. I face the slippery root once again, and feel hesitation and fear begin to sink in, before I lose my nerve completely, I crouch down and move as fast as I can over the root.

I let out a sigh of relief when my feet touch the opposite bank, and I take a minute to catch my breath and calm my pounding heart. After a moment's rest, I begin to follow the tracks deeper into the forest.

I've been tracking whatever stole our food for about an hour or more, when I suddenly hear a loud crash up ahead. I drop to the ground and drag myself behind the trunk of a massive tree. My heart is pounding so loud I'm afraid I'll be heard I try to calm my breathing as well, but all I manage is small quiet gasps. Since I'm laying as still as I possibly can, the adrenaline pumping through my veins is causing my muscles to twitch. I try to hold still, but that only makes it worse, my body is trying to get me to move, and move fast. But my brain knows better so I lie still and try not to make any noise.

My blood runs cold, and my body turns rigid as I hear angry voices...It's the careers.

"Did you see it?"

"Sort of."

Sort of?! What the &%$$ does that mean?!"

"It means I caught a glimpse of it but now I can't see it."

"Rrrrgh! I hate you! You're useless!"

Ruby is obviously in a foul mood, well I guess she always is. She's shouting profanities at Champion as she slashes at undergrowth.

"You stupid good for nothing! Where did you see it last!"

I hear Champion let out a heavy sigh and say.

"Over by that big tree."

There's a moment of dead silence, and you can feel the tension in the air. They must be really close because I can hear Ruby's voice low and deadly quiet as she replies.

"Newsflash nimrod...THE WHOLE ARENA IS FILLED WITH BIG TREES!"

The last half of the sentence Ruby shrieks, and I think my ears might bleed. I almost feel sorry for Champion, because I'm sure Ruby shouted directly in his ear.

"Well I meant that extra big tree over there!"

Champion is shouting now too, whether from anger or not being able to hear because of Ruby's screams.

"Well you should have said that earlier you twit!"

Ruby sounds a little placated, and with horror I realize that the tree Champion was talking about is the same one that I'm hiding behind. My mind shuts down, and I have no idea what to do, and the panic only grows when I hear Ruby's footsteps coming closer.

"So over here you said? What exactly did it look like?"

Ruby's voice is so close that I flinch, and I hold my breath as she pauses.

"It was furry, and had reddish-brown fur, other than that I don't know."

Champion sounds doubtful. Suddenly, a small piece of bark drifts down and lands on my lap. I slowly lift my eyes, and freeze as I see a strange-looking animal clinging to the trunk about ten feet above me.

It looks like a monkey, but it's face is more like a squirrels, and it has a striped tail. It's about the size of a large cat, and I can see rows of sharp teeth in its half-open mouth.

"Ruby..."

Suzan's voice trails off, and I hear Ruby turn around as she says irritated.

"What?"

"Don't...move."

My eye's are still glued to the mutt, and so I see it begin to move around the trunk towards the careers.

"What the &#$$ is that!"

Ruby gasps as she steps back then the sound of a cannon echoes through the arena. The mutt suddenly lets out a strange shrieking call, and jumps down from the tree and at the careers. I hear them shout in surprise and draw their weapons. But I don't stick around to see how it will end, I pull myself to my feet, and release all the pent-up adrenaline that's been rushing through my blood. I make it back to the river in record time, and practically sprint across the root.

Will is waiting for me at camp, he's cleaned up and is waiting under the lean-to with a knife close at hand. I run into camp and collapse by the fire pit, gasping for breath as my quivering muscles have time to relax. Will jumps up and runs to my side.

"Mags! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

I shake my head, still gasping. After a few moments, I'm able to say.

"I ran into the careers."

Will's face turns pale.

"Did they see you?"

I shake my head again.

"No, they were trying to find a mutt, I think it's the same one that stole all our food. Anyway, I was hiding behind the tree that it was on, and just barely escaped without being seen. The careers are all occupied with fighting the mutt, I hope it takes at least one of them down."

Will looks relieved and gives me a tight hug.

"I'm glad you're alright."

I hold him tight and shudder slightly.

"Yeah...me too."

We finally release each other, and I survey the now tidy campsite.

"Well the camp looks good."

Will smiles proudly. Then frowns.

"So the mutt that stole our food..."

I shake my head.

"It must have hidden the food somewhere, I didn't see any trace of it."

Will looks disappointed.

"Oh...nasty thing."

I laugh and ruffle his curls.

"Hey cheer up, we'll feast on blueberries and mint leaves. Tomorrow I can go hunting alright?"

Will shakes his head.

"_We_ can go hunting. I'm not letting you go off somewhere by yourself again."

I raise an eyebrow at him and cross my arms.

"Oh yeah? Well who is going to watch the camp?"

Will crosses his arms as well, and says calmly.

"We can take the backpack with us, then there won't be anything to steal."

I glare at him for a long moment, and he glares right back. Finally I can't hide my smile anymore, he grins once he sees he's one the argument and I shake my head at him.

"What am I going to do with you?"

He laughs and walks over to where he's piled the blueberries on a large piece of bark, and sits down.

"You are going to take me hunting with you tomorrow. Come on, let's eat!"

I join him and we make short work of the blueberries. After we're full, we chew on the mint leaves, savouring the fresh taste.

"Well,"

Will says presently, sounding a bit disappointed.

"I didn't hear a cannon, so all the careers must still be alive."

I nod, wondering if the careers were actually out hunting us. They wouldn't dare to cross the river...would they? As far as I know none of them can swim, but Ruby might force them to cross, and then what would happen?

"Hello? You in there?"

Will is grinning at me and waving a hand in front of my face. I push it away with a laugh.

"Yeah I'm here, just thinking."

He nods and spits out the remnants of a mint leaf.

"You always zone out when you think about things."

I nod. And look around.

"It's starting to get dark."

Will thinks for a moment.

"There were two cannons today..."

I nod again, remaining silent. I work on my lance as Will sharpens our knives to kill time. Soon night sounds are surrounding us. A gentle breeze ruffles through the leaves high above us, a lone owl hoots eerily, crickets send their music through the trees. I hum quietly while I work, adding to the calm atmosphere. It seems weird to think that this place can seem peaceful.

"Mags?"

"Hmm?"

"Do...do you think dad and Leroy are watching us?"

I pause, and turn to him.

"I know they are. If the camera's are on us."

He smiles.

"There's probably something more interesting going on."

I shrug and continue to work on my lance.

"Well, they might be focusing on the careers, although I can't see them being very entertaining, Ruby just screams at everyone."

Will giggles and I grin as I continue.

"The other tributes might be doing something...I bet the tributes from Seven and Ten are doing something fascinating. We really haven't been doing much, although I'm sure all eyes were on me this afternoon with my incident with the careers."

Will sets down the knives, and sits next to me.

"Well, do you think the camera's are on us now?"

I shrug.

"Who can tell? They may or may not be."

Will tilts his head back, and looks up at the stars.

"If the camera's are on us...I hope Leroy and dad are watching."

I give his hand a squeeze and kiss his forehead.

"Don't worry, I'm sure they're looking over us."

Will smiles and rests his head on my shoulder and yawns.  
"Well...that's comforting somehow."

I smile and lean back against one of the trees. Will leans against me and yawns again. We sit in silence for a few moments, and Will has almost dropped off when the anthem begins to blast out through the arena. Will jerks slightly, and rubs his eyes.

"Rotten timing, I had almost fallen asleep."

He says with another yawn. We both turn our eyes skyward and wait for the faces to appear.

Wilma, the fifteen year old girl from district six, and Lola's district partner, Vince. He was only thirteen.

The anthem ends, and the sky goes dark. Just another night in the arena. Now there are only fourteen of us, almost half our numbers are already gone, and it's only the second day. Maybe things will slow down...

"Mags, do you think they're somewhere better?"

I look down at Will, and see he has tears in his eyes. He's looking at me hopefully, and I think for a moment before answering.

"A better place? They don't have their families with them, so what kind of a place do you mean?"

He shrugs, and the tears run down his cheeks.

"A place where they don't remember the games at all...where they can just...live. You know what I mean?"

I nod, and quickly wipe away my own tears.

"Mags...do you think they'll meet Mom? Do all people go to the same place?"

I shake my head.

"I don't know. But I know Mom is looking after us."

Will smiles, and wipes his eyes.

"I bet mom looks after all the tributes that die every year. She can be mother to all of them."

I smile and kiss the top of his head.

"I think you're right. Go to sleep now, I'll wake you up in a little bit."

He nods, and crawls into the sleeping bag. I sit with my back to the tree, and stare out into the darkness, clutching a knife tightly in each hand.

Twenty-three children every year...after these games are over, that will be two hundred and fifty-three children that have been brutally slaughtered for the capitol's amusement.

Someday...things will be different. Someday, the people in the districts will rebel again, and there will be a different life. A life where children will be safe. I now realize that even if Will hadn't been reaped with me, and I had gotten back home. I would never be able to have a family with Felix, I could never bring someone into this world, no matter how badly I want children. Once you're in...you wouldn't even send your worst enemy into the arena, it's a fate no one deserves.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello everyone!**

**As promised, I am here with another chapter relatively soon :)**

**Sorry for the length in updating last time, there's just been a lot going on...**

**Anyway! I hope you all continue to enjoy this story, and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**You know I can see how many people read each chapter...and there were like...15 veiws the first day and not ONE review }:( :P**

**It seriously takes half a second, and I'm sure any author reading this will understand.**

**So I implore you to leave a review, it doesn't have to be long or anything, just let me know what you thought of the chapter.**

**Alright *whew* rage over, and I'll let you get on with reading the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: an unlucky number?**

Will wakes me up around six in the morning, judging by the sun's position. I yawn and stretch in the sleeping bag.

"Good morning Will."

I notice my breath creates a mist in the air and as I slide out of the sleeping bag, I notice how chill the air is.

"Brrrr."

I shiver and pull on my jacket. Will is wearing his, zipped all the way up to his chin.

"It's cold isn't it?"

His nose is pink and he's shivering slightly.

"Yeah. When did the temperature drop?"

He shrugs, and his teeth chatter slightly as he answers.

"Um...around two in the morning I think, it was weird, you could feel the air grow colder."

I shiver and look at the fire pit.

"Do you think we should risk a fire?"

He thinks for a moment.

"Well...I don't think the careers will be coming back this way anytime soon, since the Mutt was around here. So it should be fine as long as we use dry wood."

A chill travels up my spine and my body shivers against the cold.

"Alright...let's hurry."

Will and I thankfully had the good sense to gather and pile some wood under one end of the lean-to, and we find it there nice and dry. We quickly start a small fire, and huddle around it.

"Oh that's much better."  
Will says happily, I smile and soak up the warmth radiating from the flames.

"We don't have any food...I wonder if any animals will be out in this cold."

Will shrugs.

"Maybe the cold froze a couple of them and we'll find them just laying on the ground."

I gasp and slap his shoulder lightly.

"Will! That's horrible!"

He shrugs again.

"What? Freezing is peaceful. I know if I were a rabbit or squirrel I would rather freeze than be skewered by a lance."

I smile and hold my hands up to the fire.

"Well...I guess you're right. Although I doubt we'll find any just frozen on the ground. That would be easy."  
He sighs.

"And nothing is easy in the games. Oh well, moving around is better than sitting here and freezing our buns off."

I laugh and stand up.

"Alright fine, get your things and we'll go hunting."  
He hops up and grabs his knives, sliding them into the belt around his waist. Then he picks up a long strip of something.

"Hey what's that?"

I ask pointing to the strip. He holds it up and grins.

"Cool right? It's my sling."

I look at him blankly.

"Where did you get it?"

He slips it through his belt and says quickly.

"I made it."

"From what?"

He lifts his pant leg which exposes his boot, or what's left of it. He's cut a good three inches off the top.

"Will!"

He looks at me with wide eyes and says innocently.

"What?"

"Don't give me that! Look at your boot!"

He laughs.

"They're not ruined! Just shortened a bit. I was able to stretch the leather and now I have a weapon."

He pulls a small rock from his pocket, and in a few seconds there is a loud *thunk* as it hits a tree fifty feet away. He grins and slips the sling back in his belt.

"See? I'll be able to defend us long distance now."

I shake my head and grin.

"Glad you're happy. Come on let's go."

I lift the backpack onto my shoulders, and we smother the remains of the fire. Then we set off with high spirits. We encounter a discouraging holdup though when we reach the river.

"The root is frozen..."

Will says glumly, looking at the ice coated root that has served as our bridge. I look down at the river and see that there is a thick layer of ice over this as well.

"Well...should we try to cross the root?"

I shake my head.

"No. It's too dangerous."

Will lets out a frustrated sigh and kicks a twig.

"What do we do then?"

I think for a moment.

"We could follow the river and see if there is another place we could cross. Who knows? Maybe we'll find some game along the way."  
He cheers up at this new plan and we set off downriver.

Several hours go by, and we still haven't seen any game, or found a place to cross the river. We pause for a few minutes to catch our breath.

"Whew, it's getting warm again."  
Will says as he unzips his jacket. I agree and follow suit, panting in the humid air.

"I wish the gamemakers wouldn't mess with the arena weather, it gets confusing."  
I giggle at Will's disapproving face and wipe my forehead.

"Oh cheer up, the ice will have melted off the root by now."

Will groans and slumps his shoulders.

"Ugh, now we have to go all the way _back?_"

I nod and he flops onto the ground, lying on his back with his eyes closed.

"Just leave me here. I can't go on."

I grin and watch him for a few moments, after a minute or so, he opens one eye to make sure I'm still there. I raise and eyebrow at him and cross my arms.

"Come on you, we'll follow the river a little further alright?"

He sighs and stands up.

"Alright. But I'm getting awfully hungry. I hope we find something soon."

We walk for another twenty minutes before Will stops suddenly, his brows furrowed.

"What is it?"

"Listen."  
I hold still and listen carefully.

"Do you hear it?"

I tilt my head towards the river and nod.

"A waterfall."

We walk quickly along the river until we come in sight of where it suddenly drops off a cliff face. We approach the edge carefully, and stare in wonder at the long drop into a valley.

"Wow. It's so...pretty."

I smile and nod.

"Look!"

Will exclaims excitedly, pointing to several deer grazing around a small pond.

"I wonder if we should move our camp here."  
Will looks at me with big eyes.  
"Could we please!"

I think for a long moment. Looking around the valley. It looks pretty secure, tall cliffs surround it. There's water, and food, and I can see some small hollows in the side of one of the cliffs that could possibly be caves.

"Alright...I suppose we could move camp here."

Will jumps up and lets out a quiet cheer.

"Yes! Come on let's find a way down."

His enthusiasm begins to rub off on me, and so we spend the next half hour searching the side of the cliff for a easy way down. Eventually we tie our waists to the rope, and begin to scale the cliff face.

"Don't look down."

Will giggles.

"Why do people always say that? It doesn't make a difference if you look down or not."

I smile and search the cliff face for my next foothold.

"Well, I guess it applies to people who are afraid of heights. If they look down it might cause them to freak out and fall."

Will snorts as he nimbly scales the cliff in my wake.

"Well I'm not afraid of heights."

Suddenly I hear rock shift and Will lets out a cry of surprise. I feel the rope go slack, and realization hits me. I seize hold of a large outcropping of rock, and brace myself. Will falls down the cliff face and slips past me.

"Mags!"

He cries out as he scrambles to grab hold of something.

"Hang on!"

I shout to him, and a second later the rope almost yanks me off the ledge after him. I grip the rock as tight as I can, and brace my body against the ledge. The rope is cutting painfully into my waist. My first concern however is not for myself.

"Will! Are you alright?"

"Don't let go of the rope!"

He shouts up to me, he must be swinging back and forth below the ledge because the rope keeps shifting. I gasp and look around desperately for something to secure the rope to. My eye lands on a thick root, barely sticking out of the rock, it's looped out and in the rock, so it forms a sort of handle on the cliff face.

"Will! Try not to move, I'm going to try to secure the rope to something so I can pull you up."

"Alright!"

He shouts back, and I begin to painfully edge closer to the cliff side. I make it to the edge a moment later, and wedge my feet behind a rock, then bracing myself, I pull myself into a standing position. I grab the loose end of rope, and tie it with the strongest hitch I know. Thank goodness I'm from District four, and I've grown up tying knots.

Once the rope is secured, I quickly untie myself, and slowly ease the rope in place. Then I hurry to the edge and lying down, slide until my head is sticking of the edge. I can see Will swinging back and forth slowly on the rope, suspended from his hips.

"Are you alright?"

I ask anxiously. He lifts his head and catches sight of me as he swings past, grinning broadly, he holds out his arms and says.

"Look Mags! I'm a bird!"

I can't help laughing, especially after being so stressed. Will laughs to and let's out an occasional "wee!" as I work on getting him back on the ledge. Finally he's standing beside me and I'm re-securing the rope around my own waist.

"That was so scary at first, but then it was fun! I felt like I was flying."  
I shake my head at him and smile.

"What am I going to do with you?"

He shrugs and grins. I wince slightly as I tie the rope around my waist, and Will suddenly says.

"Mags are you alright?"

I nod.

"Yeah I'm fine, just a bit sore. Come on, let's go."

We make it to the valley without further incident, and Will and I quickly search for a place to set up camp. We discover that the hollows I saw are shallow dents in the mountain.

"Well that's disappointing,"

I say to myself.

"We can't even get in these, and even if we could they wouldn't shelter us at all."

I sigh and turn around, then I stop, and look around with a confused expression.

"Will?"

I turn around in a circle and then walk back over to the hollow.

"Will!"

I look around the rocks.

"Will if you don't get over here right now I'll..."  
"You'll what?"

I whirl around and see him grinning cheekily at me.

"Don't give me that grin! Where did you disappear to?"

He gives me a secretive look and whispers.

"I found our new camp."  
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"What? Where?"

He grabs my hand and drags me around a large rock. Then he crouches down, and disappears behind a much smaller rock. I crouch, and then see a small hole, I follow Will inside, and see that it's a medium-sized cave.

"Will?"

"Calm down I'm right here."

He says with a chuckle. I look around and see on one end of the cave there is a small hole where sunlight is streaming through, lighting up the cave slightly.

"Isn't this great! It's even hidden."  
I smile and slip the backpack off my shoulders and set it on one side of the cave.

"It is great, we should set up camp."

Will's stomach growls loudly and we both laugh.

"Can we get some food first? I'm starving."  
I tell him that I will go hunting if he'll set up camp. He agrees and I exit the cave. I can still see some deer around, but I don't think I could bring one of those down, I might try tomorrow. Instead I head directly to the lake, and pull off my boots and socks, I roll up my pant legs and wade into the water a little past my knees. I wait, stock still, and search the water for any sign. I manage to catch a total of four good-sized trout, and as I haul the catch to the shore, I happily note how lazy the fish in the lake are. The trout practically swam up and held still. I grab my socks and boots and head back to the cave. Will is setting things up behind the large rock for a fire, and when he sees the fish he licks his lips.

"Mmm. Trout! I'll get the fire going if you clean the fish."

I agree, and start gutting the fish. Felix showed me a special way to get the meat off without making to much of a mess, and it's much more efficient. I use this technique, and soon have the fish ready for roasting. Will places a smooth piece of shale on the fire and we begin roasting the fish, he managed to find some herbs growing around the rocks, and adds them to the sizzling meat.

"Oh that smells so good! I might die of hunger before they're done."

I laugh and poke his small stomach.

"Well these are the hunger games after all."

The crowd probably loved that one, and the irony of it bites me. I wonder how many of the tributes are going to bed hungry tonight? How many of them have had anything to eat since the games began?

***Boom***

As if the arena had known what I was thinking, a cannon echoes around the valley. Now there are only thirteen of us.

"I was wondering if we would be able to go one day without..."

Will trails off, and stares into the fire, his eyes shining with unshed tears. I distract him by pulling the fish off the fire and handing him two.

"Here, careful though, they're hot."

We eat in silence, devouring the delicious meat. After we're done, we remain outside and breathe in the fresh air. The sun is just beginning to set, when I lay back in the grass.

"Ah!"

I sit up and wince, holding an arm across my stomach as pain shoots through my torso. It's been present all day but not this bad. Will is at my side in an instant.

"Mags are you okay? You're not hurt are you?"

The pain is almost unbearable, but I manage a weak smile and shake my head.

"No I'm fine..."

But the crease in my forehead tells Will otherwise, and for a moment he doesn't say anything. I know what the pain is from, it's from earlier when Will fell off the cliff, it's from the rope. But this isn't just being sore, I've never felt pain like this before.

"Mags you're not fine."

I shift slightly and wince.

"Yes I am!"

Will lunges forward and yanks the hem of my shirt up, exposing my stomach. He gasps in shock and stares.

"Mags..."

I don't want to look, I don't want to look...but I have to. Slowly I look down and my heart almost stops when I see my stomach. There's a dark purple and black bruise circling my entire waist, clearly marking where the rope was. There are even several burns and cuts from where it bit into my skin. I know that's not what's causing the pain though.

"Will, see? It's just a bruise and some cuts, I'll be fine."

He looks a little doubtful, and runs into the cave. He emerges a minute later with the medical supplies.

"We need to get you fixed up."

I look over the medical supplies slowly.

"Well there isn't anything of use except bandages."

Will holds up the needle and medical thread. I shake my head.

"I only have small scratches, there's no need for stitches."

He nods and hands me the bandages.

"Well you might as well wrap up, you don't want anything to get infected, and hopefully it will provide some cushion."

I smile and wrap the bandages all around my waist.

"Thanks Will."

He smiles.  
"Don't mention it."

Will takes the rest of the medical supplies and takes them back in the cave. I still don't think that a few rope burns, scrapes, and bruises, even severe ones, would be causing this much pain. It's only gotten worse, and no matter what position I'm in it still hurts. Suddenly an intensely sharp spasm shoots through me, and I collapse on the ground gasping. I twist onto my side and curl up, holding my waist tightly as the pain grows steadily worse.

I can feel Will by my side now, and I think he's saying something but I can't hear him. Tears are streaming down my cheeks and pained sobs escape my throat. It hurts so bad...

Suddenly I taste something metallic in my mouth, and I realize it's blood. It trickles out of the corner of my mouth and starts to make a small pool on the ground. Will manages to flip me onto my back, and I can see his terrified face, through my tears, as he sees the blood.

"Mags what's wrong!"

I cough as more blood escapes my mouth and close my eyes tightly. Just let it end already! Just let the pain go away!

The last thing I hear before the world goes black, is a small beeping sound.

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**Authors note: DUN DUN DUN! Suspense! **

**Well sorry for leaving you hanging...actually no I'm not :P Hehehehe. So anyway leave a review if you want me to update soon! Otherwise I might make you wait...and you'll never know what happens! Bwahahahah!**

**But seriously...please review! I'll love you forever and ever! (Probably not because I don't even know you.) But I'll update sooner!**

***Sigh***

**(review!)**


	14. Chapter 14

**Aloha!**

**So as promised here is a chapter post haste! I would have posted earlier, but the weather today has been BEAUTIFUL! (For once) and so I didn't want to waste the lovely day. (oh, and I went to Starbucks with my sis for a couple of hours) :D**

**FYI the iced Hazelnut late is amazing!**

**Anyway! Back on point. How did you guys like last chapter? I know I left you hanging, bwahahah! So another reason to post sooner is not to keep you in suspense any longer :)**

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter! It was lovely, and for those of you who didn't...well you know who you are.**

**So please keep up the reviews! And for those of you that didn't please do!**

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**Chapter Fourteen: Friends?**

_I'm laying on the soft, warm sand, with the sun on my face and the sound of the waves in my ears. I have my eyes closed, and I can feel the sun rays soaking into my tan skin. I let out a happy sigh, and slowly run my fingers through the sand. I hear a chuckle._

_"What are you sighing about?"_

_I answer with my eyes still closed._

_"I'm happy, that's why. Being at the beach on a day like this, with you. Life is just good."_

_I hear the deep chuckle again, and the sand shifts beside me. I turn my head to the side and open my eyes, Felix is laying on his side facing me, his head propped up on one elbow. He has that perfect grin on his face. I can't help smiling back._

_"What are you staring at?"_

_He answers quietly, his voice rumbling deep in his chest._

_"The most beautiful girl in the world."_

_I blush and flick some sand in his face with a grin._

_"Yeah right you flirt."_

_He laughs and half sits up, and begins to tickle my exposed stomach. I squeal and squirm under him and try to wriggle free, but he's relentless and I'm at his mercy for a little over a minute. He pauses, placing a hand on either side of my head, hovering a few inches above me._

_"Some girls just can't take a compliment."_

_He says with a shake of his head. I get my legs under him and shove him off of me and over to the side as I say._

_"You were just teasing and you know it!"_

_As he falls to the side, he grabs my wrist and pulls me along with him. I squeal as I'm flipped over and land sprawled across his bare chest. We both lay there for a minute, panting slightly, our eyes locked together._

_"I wasn't teasing you."_

_He says in a low voice, as he slides his hand lightly down my shoulder and back._

_"You're so beautiful. How did I get so lucky?"_

_I smile and lightly brush my fingers against his chest and give him a kiss. After a moment I pull away and cross my arms on his chest._

_"I'm the lucky one."_

_He smiles and runs his hand through my hair._

_"We're both lucky."_

_I lay my head on his chest and close my eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat. I rise and fall as he takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh. He wraps his arms around my waist and shoulders and holds me close. We lay like that for a long time, just enjoying the feeling of being together._

A sharp pain in my torso slowly brings me back to reality. For a moment I'm confused. I can't feel the sun...and it's cold. After a few moments, I try to move slightly, stopping immediately as the pain grows worse. Another few moments, and I open my eyes.

I'm staring at...rock. Suddenly the memories flood back and I wonder for a moment if I'm dead. But I can't be...because my insides still hurt.

"Ah, the lady hath awaken."

A strange voice echoes in the cave, and I struggle to sit up, my hand searching the cave floor for a weapon.

"Oh I wouldn't try to sit up if I were you."  
Pain shoots through me and I fall back with a groan. I hear the stranger walk across the cave towards me as they say.

"I told you not to move, well now you know why."

I lie helpless as a face comes into view. To my surprise, it's Milo, the male tribute from District three. He pushes his round spectacles up the bridge of his nose and looks me over.

"Well you seem to be doing much better, although I'm going to have to check your wounds in a minute."

I stare at him confused, and shift slightly on the floor. I realize now that I'm laying on the sleeping bag.

"What..."

I trail off, my voice is hoarse and dry. Milo crouches beside me and slides his arm under my shoulders, he gently lifts my upper body, and slides a bundle under the sleeping bag, creating something for me to lean against. Now in a sitting position, he hands me a canteen.

"Here, drink some water."

I hesitate for a moment, and he looks amused.

"You really think I would waste something as precious as poison when I could have just stabbed you?"

I relent, and take a long drink from the canteen. He takes it from me and sets it down beside him. I watch him with wary eyes, and he looks back thoughtfully.

"Where's Will?"

I ask quietly, my tone bordering on dangerous. He smiles slightly and nods his head towards the cave entrance.

"Outside, he's either gather firewood or fishing."

I narrow my eyes.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?"

He shrugs and stands up.

"Well, you either believe me or you don't, that's your business."

I sit up a little straighter and wince.

"Oh right, I need to check your wounds."

Milo crouches back down next to me, and reaches for my stomach. I slide away from him and lower my voice dangerously.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

He pauses and says slowly.  
"I need to check your wounds, and change your bandages."

"What?"

He motions to my stomach and says.

"See for yourself."

I stare at him until he sighs and shakes his head.

"For goodness sakes Mags, it's your stomach, I'm not asking you to take your shirt off. Sheesh."

I roll my eyes at him and slowly lift the hem of my shirt. Where the dark bruises, burns and cuts are on my stomach, is wrapped in a clean white bandage.

"What happened? The last thing I remember was horrible pain...and something was beeping."

Milo rummages through a small pack and pulls out a fresh roll of bandages.

"Well, we heard your little brother screaming and crying, so it wasn't hard to find you. When we did, I quickly got the story from Will on what had happened. He was so hysterical that he hadn't noticed the sponsor gift. I discovered it had some very expensive capitol medicine in it, medicine for internal injuries."

I frown.

"Internal injuries?"

He nods.

"Apparently, when Will fell on the cliff and his full weight yanked against you, it caused several of your organs to rupture. You didn't feel the effects until later, then there came the bleeding out of the mouth and extreme pain."

I shudder as I remember and quickly ask.

"So what did you do?"

He shrugs.

"I had to slit you open, insert the medicine and stitch you back up."

I stare at him.

"You preformed surgery?"

He thinks for a moment.

"I guess you could call it that. It was quite simple with the medicine, you just pour a little into the incision and stitch it back up. The medicine works amazingly fast to heal the damage. You should be up and about by tomorrow."

I think for a long moment.  
"Why did you help me? You could have just let me die...one less till you're home right?"

He tilts his head on one side, thinking for a minute before answering.

"Well, the way I see it is. If you or Will found one of us hurt or in trouble...you would help us."

I frown in confusion.

"Us?"

He nods.

"Rosa and I, my district partner."

I nod.

"So you've been working together?"

He smiles.

"We're cousins, family sticks together right? Through thick and thin."

I smile.  
"Cousins?"

Then the smile fades from my lips, and I stare at the ground.

"Yeah...I get it. At least we're not siblings."

I nod slowly. Knowing that both of them must die if I am going to keep my promise to Will and get him out.

"So are you going to let me change your bandages or what? I have been doing it for a while now."  
I look around.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

"Five days."

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"Five days? So we've been in the arena for a week?"

He nods. A question enters my mind, a question that I don't want to ask, but I do anyway.

"How...how many of us are there now?"

He begins to change my bandages as he says.

"Thirteen. There haven't been any more deaths since you've been unconscious."

That's unusual for there to be no deaths in five days. The remaining tributes must be doing some entertaining or exciting things to keep the capitol at bay. I guess my whole situation provided a good bit of drama, not knowing if I was going to die, the sudden appearance of Milo and Rosa, their willingness to help.

"There you go, all patched up. Here take this.

He hands me a small pill and the canteen.  
"Don't worry, it's just a little morphling tablet. I thought you'd want to go outside and get some fresh air, this should get rid of the pain."

I take the tablet, and almost instantly the pain goes away. Milo helps me to my feet, and assists in getting me out into the open air. I take a deep breath and look around in the growing twilight.

"Thank you."

I turn to Milo and give him a smile.

"For everything."

He shrugs and returns my smile.  
"Like I said, you would have done the same."  
Suddenly I hear a happy shout, and Will runs up and almost knocks me over. He hugs me around my ribs, careful not to touch my wounds.

"Mags! You're alright!"

He's crying and laughing at the same time. I laugh and hold him tightly.

"I'm sorry for scaring you buddy."

He starts just crying now and shaking his head.

"Mags I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

I pull him back so I can see his face.

"What ever on earth for?"

He sniffs and drops his head.

"It's my fault you got hurt...if I hadn't have fallen you-"

I cut him off and kiss his cheek, then pull him into my arms and hold him tightly.

"Oh be quiet silly, it's not your fault."  
He sniffles and wipes his eyes.

"I'm just glad you're alright."  
I kiss the top of his head.

"Me too."

Rosa appears a moment later with a large catch of fish, she gives me a shy smile and looks at me with her brilliant green eyes.

"Glad to see you up and about. Feeling better?"

I smile.

"Yes thank you. You two saved my life."

She pushes her mass of curls out of her face and says quietly.

"Well, you would have done the same."

They set about preparing dinner, insisting that I sit out and relax. Will plops down beside me presently and leans his head against my shoulder.

"There haven't been any more deaths since you got hurt."

I nod.  
"Milo told me. Who was it that died? I passed out before the anthem..."

Will sighs and says quietly.

"Steven, the boy from District eight."

I nod slowly.

There are the careers, the tributes from District seven and ten, Lola, Will, Rosa, Milo and I left. Thirteen tributes.

"Dinner is ready! Milo calls cheerfully, flicking his shaggy brown hair out of his face and grinning at us.

"Come on while it's still hot."

Will and I look at each other and smile, then we get up and join them at the campfire.

That was the first night I felt like I wasn't in the arena, the first night that felt like Will and I were just having a camp out with some friends. Milo turns out to be very funny, he cracks jokes and makes sarcastic comments throughout the evening. Rosa is shy, but she opens up a little after a while, especially around Milo. I find myself growing fond of both of them, and scold myself for doing so, but I can't help it. They're both so friendly and easy-going. Will has grown attached to them too, I can tell. I don't know what we're going to do, but for now I don't care. I'm just happy to be alright, happy for once not to feel a sense of impending doom.

Rosa and Will take the first watch, Milo offering to take the next watch, giving me the easiest and shortest watch. I protest at first, but Milo just says that once I'm fully healed, I'll be taking the longest watches. This settles things, and I quickly fall asleep.

That night I dream of the ocean and home.


	15. Chapter 15

**Salutations, peoples.**

**Here I am with a brand new chapter! Alas...this one must be tragic, and we are leaving the peaceful days behind :(**

**I gave you a short relief from the horrors of the games, but the Capitolites are getting bored, no deaths for a week? The tributes just hanging out and having a good time? What is this? We want blood! Action! Violence! Suspense! All the things the Hunger Games are supposed to be!**

**So, picnic over, time for the "fun" to begin.**

**Note: I hate doing this, but it must be done, please don't think of me as a horrible person or a potential psychopath. :P**

**Thanks to everyone who has left me all those lovely reviews and please keep 'em coming!**

**A special shout out to the guest who reviewed as "beingme" whoever you are, HUGE thanks to you for an absolutely amazing review! Once you find/get on your account, please PM me. I'd love to give you a proper thanks, and talk to you some :)**

**Anyway! On to the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Too good to last.**

Milo wakes me for my watch at around three o'clock. I yawn and stretch, then slide out of my sleeping bag and stand up, careful not to disturb the others. Milo walks outside with me, and sits for a moment.

"I can take care of myself you know."

He smiles.

"I know."

But he still doesn't move.

"Come on, you already gave me the easiest and shortest watch, you can at least let me have the dignity of serving my watch on my own."

He shrugs, and hands me a knife. I take it in addition to my lance, and give him a smile as I nod to the cave entrance.  
"Go on, I'll be fine."

He stands up, pauses for a moment, then finally says.  
"Well, goodnight then."

"Goodnight."

He ducks into the cave and I hear him settle down, then I'm left to the silence of early morning. I take a deep breath and let it out slowly, listening to the sounds of the valley.

Crickets, night birds, the small stream that trickles away from the small lake, the rustling of the grass, the occasional sound of a pebble falling down the cliff face, and over it all, the distant and faint roar of the waterfall.

It's overall...peaceful, like last night. But for some reason I can't help feeling slightly uncomfortable, this peace in the arena is putting me on edge, it's too...natural, which is exactly why it feels unnatural. I sigh and rub my forehead. I'm confusing myself, I should just stop thinking and pay attention to keeping watch.

I stare dutifully into the night, and listen for any unusual sounds. After about twenty-five minutes, I can feel myself beginning to get sleepy, so I start to think again.

I wonder what my family is doing right now? Is Felix still glued to the screen? Or has my father somehow managed to make him go to sleep. Is Dash glued to the screen? I wonder what it's like to be a mentor. It has to be hard...seeing two kids every year that you try your hardest to help, knowing that at the most you can bring only one home...if you can. Maybe it does something to a person, maybe that is one of the reasons Dash doesn't think about the future, he didn't think of the consequences of kissing me, admitting he liked me. Because to him, whoever he meets he only knows for a short time, whether it's in the capitol or a tribute, they never stick around. He doesn't have any other victors to relate too. It sounds like the only people he has that are permanently in his life are his mother and his little sister.

I guess I can't blame him for kissing me, he just didn't think about the future, didn't think about me coming out alive. Which of course means he didn't think that if I did come out, I would still be with Felix. I must pity him, because I feel sad that he thinks that way.

I yawn and shift my lance slightly, then I wince and hold an arm across my torso. It hurts when I move my torso now, the morphling must have worn off. I take a deep breath, and shift as quickly as I can into a more relaxed position. I can't help the little gasp of pain that escapes my lips, and I let out a small whimper, half out of frustration, and half out of pain.

"Mags? Are you alright?"

I turn my head quickly towards the cave entrance, and wince again. Rosa is standing in the doorway, her wild red curls flying everywhere. Her shy green eyes show up almost luminescent in the moonlight. She's looking at me in her usual shy way, but she's also slightly concerned.

"Rosa...what are you doing up?"

She ducks her head, her hair falling into her face as she says.

"Well for one I wanted to check on you. I heard you cry out."

I go to stand up, but after twisting ever so slightly, I decided against it.

"Oh Rosa I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."  
She shakes her head and walks over to me.  
"Oh you didn't. Milo did, he snores something horrible."

We both giggle quietly and she hides her face with her hand.

"We shouldn't be laughing."

We both purse our lips together and slowly regain our composer. The moment we're both completely serious again, a loud snore echoes out of the cave entrance and we both burst into a fresh fit of giggles.

"I hope Will doesn't wake up, he needs sleep."

Rosa nods.  
"He's hardly slept at all the past five days, he's been too worried about you. Milo slipped a drop of the sleep syrup into his food one night though, so I guess he has had some."

I smile, and look towards the cave entrance.  
"I'm glad Milo did that."

Rosa nods, and we sit in silence for a few minutes.

"Hey Mags?"

I look at the younger girl.

"Yeah?"

She pulls up some grass, and fiddles with it.

"I...I don't want to die."

I remain silent, not knowing what to say. Nothing I can say will comfort her. She continues.  
"But...I don't want anyone else to die either, and I know some people should live more than me."

I shake my head.

"Rosa, you can't say that, it's not true."

She sniffs slightly and wipes her nose.

"Well, it is true. Most of the other tributes have someone to go home too..."

"Milo is your cousin right? So you have to have some family."

She shrugs.  
"Milo...and his dad, but my uncle and I have never been close."

She turns to look at me, and she has tears in her eyes.  
"If I did go back home, Milo wouldn't. I know my uncle would take care of me, but I would only remind him that I lived and his son died. I couldn't bear to hurt someone like that."

She sighs and wipes her eyes.

"I think it would be better if someone else won..."

I nod slowly.

"Like Milo?"

She shrugs.

"He would hate himself forever if I died and he lived. He's never been the same since his mom died."

I stare at the ground, remembering how it felt when I lost my mother.

"Yeah...I know how he feels. So where does that leave you?"

She shrugs again.  
"I don't know...I don't think either of us have anything really to go back to. Where as some of the other tributes, like you and Will, have family. You have something to go home to."

I think about this for a little while. Rosa makes a point, she doesn't want to die, but if she wins, she won't really be living. So, she thinks someone else would be better off winning. She's very mature for her age.

"Well...I guess that's one way of thinking about it."

She nods.

"I would get to see my parents again, that would be good right? I get to be with them."

She turns to me and smiles.

"I don't think I'm afraid of dying anymore, I just don't want to have some horrible slow death."

I shudder.

"No one wants that."

She suddenly gives me a gentle hug and says.

"I think you are going to get Will out alive aren't you? He deserves to win."

I wince slightly then give her a quick hug back.

"Yes, I'm going to try my hardest to get Will out alive."

She smiles.  
"He should be the one to live. Thanks for talking with me Mags, you've helped me realize that dying won't be so bad."

I smile slightly.

"You're welcome. Just don't mention it to Milo, he would probably not accept it as well as you."

She giggles slightly.  
"Yeah, he would freak out about it and try to talk me into reason."

I look up at the sky and notice that the sun is about to rise.

"Look, the sun is coming up."  
Rosa turns her head upwards, and smiles brightly.

"Oh how beautiful."  
She says breathlessly.

"I hope my parents can see this...I hope they can see me."

I give her hand a squeeze.

"I'm sure they can."

She suddenly hops up and stretches, then with a slightly embarrassed smile she says.

"I have to use the restroom, I'll be right back."  
I laugh quietly and wave her off.

"Go on, I'll get the others up and we'll start breakfast."  
She gives me a smile and runs off. I attempt, several times, to stand up and finally succeed rather painfully. I limp slightly to the cave entrance, and stick my head in.

"Hey! Wake up you two! It's a lovely day and I'm starving!"

They both jerk awake and thrash around briefly in confusion. Realizing they're not under attack, they flop back down and groan. I laugh and throw pebbles at them until they get up. Will greets me with a cheery smile and a big hug.

"Morning Mags, how did you sleep?"

I kiss the top of his head.

"Very well, how about you?"

He shakes his curls and flattens them slightly.

"I slept fine, although I'm starving!"

I laugh and tug on his sleeve.

"Well come on then, help Milo and I get breakfast ready."

We set about preparing breakfast from what food we have. Some fish, blackberries, fresh water, and a little bit of rabbit meat. Once we've laid everything out, Milo looks around.  
"Where's Rosa?"

I wave off in the general direction she went.

"She went to find a little...privacy. She might have done a little exploring too, looking for something to bring for breakfast."

Milo nods and goes into the cave. Will looks up at the sky.

"How long has she been gone?"

I shrug.

"Only like...twenty minutes. Not long."  
He smiles.

"I hope she gets back soon, I'm starting to get ravenous!"

I laugh and pat his shoulder sympathetically.

"I'm sure she will be."

Milo appears with his and Rosa's packs. He nudges Will and flicks his head towards the cave.

"Hey go and grab your guys stuff. We should go looking for some more food after breakfast. Game is getting scarce around here."

Will looks to me for consent, I nod and he scrambles off to get our supplies, a little eager I might add. He seems to be excited to be doing something.

Milo sets his burdens down and dusts his hands off on his legs. Then he straightens up and says quickly.

"I hope that's okay with you, I didn't mean to just give orders."

I shake my head.

"No it's fine. It's a smart move."

He smiles.

"I know, my brain is my weapon remember?"

I laugh, then suddenly there is a loud rumbling sound and the ground shakes. Milo and I stagger for a moment and I wince as the disruption rattles me and causes pain to shoot through my body. It only lasts for about a minute, then it stops all of a sudden. Milo and I stare at each other for a moment, panting slightly. The silence is broken as Will stumbles out of the cave bearing our large pack and the knife belt. His eyes are wide and he's covered in dirt.

"What the heck was that?!"

I look around the valley, at the ground, and towards our cave.

"It felt like an earthquake, but I don't think the gamemakers would create a little quake like that...it doesn't make sense."

Milo is thinking, his brows pulled low over his eyes. He slowly shakes his finger.

"Unless...the quake wasn't what they are doing."

I realize what he's saying, and look around quickly.

"Will, give me that pack and you take Rosa's, it's smaller."

Will hands me the pack, and takes Rosa's.

"Why? What's going on?"

Milo lifts his pack onto his shoulders as he says grimly.

"Nothing good. That quake was just the start of something...they might have just been testing how the technology worked, using a small quake before releasing something bigger..."

I painfully pick up the heavy pack, and gingerly slide it onto my shoulders.

Milo observes my efforts and says.

"Are you okay to go?"

I nod, clenching my jaw tightly and sliding the pack fully onto my back.

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

He nods and after Will is set to go, we exit the little rocky area that hides our cave, and step out onto the open ground.

"Which way did Rosa go?"

Milo asks. I turn the direction she went as I say.  
"She went right over-"  
I'm stopped short, as we see a large rock that apparently broke off the mountain. I stare in horror at the small body pinned beneath it. Rosa's legs and lower body are completely hidden, crushed by the boulder. Her shoulders, head and arms are the only thing that are visible. Her arms are outstretched towards us, as if she was running this way. Her head is tilted to one side, there is a sickening pool of dark red blood surrounding her, and her lips are stained the bright red. Her hair is flung around her head like a halo. Her eyes are open, scared and shocked.

"Rosa!"

Milo's scream knocks me out of my shock, and I barely grab hold of him before he tries to run to her.  
"Milo! It's too late!"

Will is crying silently beside me, tears flowing down his cheeks as he turns away from the awful sight.

"No! NO! There wasn't a cannon...we can still save her!"

I am struggling to hold him back and in the heat of the moment my pain was forgotten, but it's slowly making itself known again and every time Milo struggles, it increases in intensity.

"Milo the earthquake! It was meant for her! We didn't hear the cannon because of it!"

"Mags!"

I turn my head and search for Will. I find him a little behind me, staring past Rosa. His eyes wide with fear.

"What's wrong?"

He points and I follow his finger. Then I gasp in shock and am momentarily frozen. Milo tears his eyes away from Rosa's crushed body, and sees what has shocked Will and I.

The other side of the valley. it's...all on fire. From the edge of the cliff and on is a large blaze, moving too fast and fierce to be natural. Will tugs on my sleeve.

"Mags..."  
I yank Milo around to face me, and stare at him.

"We need to get out of here...now!"

He has tears streaming down his face and he shakes his head.

"Not without Rosa..."

I shake him, trying to get his brain to start working again.

"Milo! She's dead! And we are going to be too if we don't get out of here!"

He seems to snap back, and with one last glance at Rosa, he turns back the way we came.  
"You're right...come on!"

He starts running towards the waterfall, I make Will start ahead of me and then we are all dashing as fast as we can towards the opposite cliff. Knowing that if we don't scale it in time, we'll be burned alive.

Adrenaline is lending it's aid to all of us, and we run at a dead sprint the whole way, reaching the bottom of the cliff in around five minutes. We all slide to a stop and pant. I glance behind us and see the fire is growing faster, we don't have very much time.

"What are we going to do?"

Will asks scared. I look to Milo and see him standing very still, fingertips pressed to his head, and eyes darting back and forth. After a few moments he quickly says.

"The waterfall! Quick!"

Without question we follow him at a run to the waterfall, and after checking something quickly, he turns to us.

"Alright, I calculated the time it would take to scale the cliff, and we wouldn't make it to the top ahead of the fire. So if I'm right, there should be caverns somewhere around the waterfall. They could be behind it, of under the water somewhere."

I nod.  
"Right, so how do we find them?"

He digs through his pack quickly and pulls out a crumpled up piece of paper.

"There was something wrapped in this, if we toss it in the pool here, then we should be able to see if there's a current."

He throws it in the pool, and we all watch it anxiously. It bobs for a moment, then slowly moves towards the middle of the pool. Milo smiles.

"Alright I thought as much. The cavern entrance is right in the middle of the pool, that's why it has this odd current."

I look at Will and take a deep breath.  
"So how do we do this?"

Milo slides his pack of his shoulders and pulls his jacket off as well.

"Well, we take off our packs and jackets, then we toss them in and dive after them. It shouldn't take long to find the caverns."

I glance back at the raging fire drawing closer with every second.

"And what if the entrance is too small to fit through?"

Milo thinks for a moment.  
"It's our only chance, if we can't get through..."

He trails off, and glances at the fire. His eyes then flicker to Will, and then to me.

"We'll make it through, for Rosa."

I nod and slide off my pack. Will does the same. Milo glances at the churning pool and says.

"I'll go first and take the one of the packs, once I find the entrance I'll come back up and show Will where it is with the second pack, then the last pack and you. Ready?"

Will and I nod, and Milo grabs his pack, and plunges into the water. Will grabs my hand tightly, and says in a scared voice.

"Are we going to be okay?"

I look at the fire, only a thousand feet away. And nod.

"You're going to be okay."

He is gripping my hand tightly.

"What about you?"

I swallow hard.  
"I'm going to be okay too."  
He nods and we turn our attention back to the pool as Milo surfaces with a gasp.

"Okay, I found the entrance. It's a little small, but we should be able to squeeze through."

I give Will a gentle nudge.

"This is one thing you can do. Swim."  
He nods, tosses his pack into the pool and dives in after it. Milo looks at me briefly and says.

"I'll look after him."  
I nod. And he ducks under the surface again. I wait for a minute...another sixty seconds...two minutes. I should be worried about myself, because now I can feel the heat of the fire and the loud roar as it consumes everything in it's path, but I'm only thinking of Will and Milo. Are they alright? They've been underwater for nearly three minutes. I know Will can hold his breath for at least two, but I don't know about Milo.

Suddenly his head pops above the surface, and he flicks water out of his hair.  
"Mags! Jump!"

I fling my bag into the water. I can hear the fire, and it seems to be screaming my name as it reaches a long flame forward to catch me. I take a deep breath, and dive into the water.

I open my eyes and look around. The water is a little cloudy with bubbles, but I can see Milo in a weird orange glow caused by the fire now over the pool. Milo swims down to the bottom of the pool and after a very brief search, waves me over. I swim over and see a small hole in the bottom of the rocks. He motions to himself and points to the hole. I nod and he squirms in, his legs kicking briefly as he struggles to squeeze through. Finally his feet disappear and I'm left alone in the pool.

I am now the happiest I've ever been to be from District Four, I can hold my breath for a total of four minutes, and I am very proud of it. I release some bubbles, and pull myself down towards the hole. I slip my arms through, and after finding a handhold I pull my shoulders through, with some effort. My back scrapes against the rock painfully, and I accidentally release some of my air with a cry of pain as the tight space compresses my intestines, causing severe pain shocks to shoot through my body. There is a small tunnel that leads to something that looks like a bigger pool. I slide forward a few inches, and scrape myself further on the rocks. I bite my lip hard, and with a surge of will power, I kick the rock and push myself a good six inches in. A small mist of blood clouds around my face, and I realize it's coming from my lip, which I bit too hard from the pain, and several places on my back and arms from the rocks.

I stretch my arms forward, and grip the sides of the exit hole, one final pull, and I'll be in the open pool. I yank myself forward and with relief slide forward fairly easy, my head enters the open water, and my shoulders. I kick off an outcropping of rock in the tunnel, and that's when I discover...

I'm stuck.


	16. Chapter 16

**Goodbye!**

**I usually say "hello" and I felt like shaking it up a bit :D**

**I know I haven't updated in a little while, and at first it was because I was busy with other writing stuff and posting more chapters on the story I'm co-writing with a friend of mine, "Lost without you" about Annie's games. And then I was going to post the next chapter on here, but I got sick, and I felt so horrible that I couldn't even get off the couch :( I just have the beginnings of a cold now, so I feel well enough to write again! Although I apologize if this chapter is a little off on some things spelling/grammar/sentences that don't make sense. Because I am still a little brain dead.**  
**So anyway, I know I left you hanging last chapter, and I didn't want to torture you any longer so here is the next chapter! I hope you guys all like it, and please let me know what you think of the story, characters, plot twists, really anything and everything concerning the story.**

**And if you ever want to talk please don't hesitate to PM me, I would love to have a conversation with you, it would be awesome!**

**So review please! I adore them! It's like...I don't even know how to describe the feeling, but I assure you, it's awesome. :)**

**So help make my day and leave a review! Even if I've already finished this story and you have just now discovered it, I seriously still love to get feedback.**

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**Chapter Sixteen: Another goodbye.**

When I discover that I am stuck, I instantly stop moving and relax. I have known the rule not to panic in water since I could first talk, and I've been in situations like this before. The best thing to do, is calmly find out how you are stuck, then you can get un-stuck, and swim free. Panic, and you'll drown. I can hold my breath for up to three minutes, so I'm not really worried about running out of air.

I push myself slightly forward, until I feel a pull. Well the hole isn't too small for me, otherwise my shoulders wouldn't have made it through. It feels like my shirt is caught on something, and that's what is keeping me stuck. I slide back into the hole slightly, trying to un-snag the shirt, after backing up about two feet, I attempt to push out again. Nope.

My chest is beginning to feel tight, and I know I only have about a minute and a half of air left. I need to free soon, I don't know how long it is to the surface from here. I can't get my arms out of the hole enough to get a good hold on something, so pulling myself free is out of the question. I try to push myself using my feet, but my knees keep getting in the way and I don't have enough room to get the force I need to push me free.

A minute left.

I twist halfway around, hoping this will loosen something, but it only succeeds in scraping my shoulders on the rocks. I know if I don't get free soon...I have to get free.

I let out a small stream of bubbles, forcing myself to relax and concentrate. I wiggle and twist and push, but I am really stuck. How did the others get by? Will is just overall tiny, so it wouldn't be hard for him to get through. Milo must be even thinner than I thought. Then I realize that if it wasn't for the bandages around my stomach, I wouldn't be stuck. The bandages cause a slight bulge under my shirt, and this is the area where it got stuck.

Half a minute.

My lungs are starting to ache for air, and my head is pounding. I have to get free. Now. I struggle against the rocks, being careful not to exert myself too much, because that will cut the time I have left in half. Through the odd scrabbling sound that my struggles are creating under the water, I hear a splash. I look up and see Will swimming towards me. He raises his eyebrows questioningly, and I squirm slightly to show that I'm stuck. His eyes widen and with squid like speed he shoots back to the surface, returning three seconds later with Milo.

Will grabs hold of my right hand, and Milo takes my left. They brace themselves on either side of the rock and pull. I bite my lip as pain shoots down my arms to my shoulders and back, they tug again, and this time I can feel myself give a little bit. Will holds up a finger, signaling one last strong pull. I brace my feet against the rock, and push with all my strength as both of them lean back and tug. There's a muffled ripping sound underwater, and I slide out of the hole, scraping my shoulders on the rocks.

I brace my feet on the rocks, and with a powerful kick launch myself up. I break the surface with a loud splash and inhale the sweet air with a long gasp. A moment later, Will surfaces next to me, blowing like a little whale. He quickly swims closer to me and gasps.

"Mags, are you alright?"

After a few more gasps I nod.

"Yeah, I'm just great."

He laughs, the sound echoing in what appears to be a cave. We have a few of them around District four, but they're sometimes dangerous to explore. You should never go in them unless you know the cave, or your with someone who does. People have disappeared far too many times because of getting trapped too far from an air pocket.

"Mags! You're not okay!"

Will exclaims in shock, he starts swimming small circles around me.

"Look! You're bleeding!"

I look down and see the water around me is faintly clouding red. Milo all of the sudden pops his head above the water.

"You're bleeding pretty bad, we should get you looked at."

He says a little breathlessly. Then he starts swimming to one side of the cave, towing the final pack behind him. I must have left it on the floor of the pool after pushing it ahead of me out of the hole.

I swim after Milo, and Will follows me closely like a concerned puppy. I give him a smile as I grab onto the edge of a rock shelf that creates the floor of the cave.

"Will I'm fine, I just got scraped up some on the rocks."

He doesn't look convinced, but tries to give me a small smile of encouragement as he scrambles onto the rock ledge and helps me up. Once out of the water, the pain starts to become worse and I try not to cry.

It's nothing like the internal injury pain, but it's still incredibly painful. Stinging pain, like a burn, all over my arms, shoulders, part of my back and my legs. Luckily my stomach was protected by the bandages, so the stitches escaped being re-opened. I stiffly walk over to the cave wall, and sit down. Milo is pulling out the medical supplies, and Will is just watching us anxiously.

"Milo, how do you know medical stuff?"

He shrugs as he continues to root through the packs.

"I was being taught to be a doctor back home, everyone said I had a knack for figuring out how things worked, and I wanted to help people in my District. Normally we're trained for technical stuff for...well, I just wanted to help my District."

I remain silent, knowing what he's thinking.

All of the Districts specialize in something, District One is luxury. Two, masonry. Three, technology. Four, fishing. Five, power. Six, transportation. Seven, lumber. Eight, textiles. Nine, grain. Ten, livestock. Eleven, agriculture. And Twelve, coal.

Each District's specialization is for the Capitol's use. Sure we get a very small portion of what we produce, but we are basically the Capitol's factories. Producing products for their use, and only letting us keep enough to barely stay functional. Milo doesn't want to be responsible for producing more than the Capitol needs when the people in his District are starving.

So he chose to become a doctor, so he could help the people in his District. He was doing what my father did.

"Well, I guess I'm lucky that you chose to be a doctor. My father is a ship's doctor, so I know a lot of medical things, but I don't think anyone can perform surgery on themselves."

He smiles as he gathers an armful of supplies and walks over to me.

"Yeah, I don't think so either."

He sets fresh bandages, antibiotic cream and some other things beside me before crouching in front of me. Will stops pacing, walks over and crouches down beside me. He looks anxiously as Milo asks me to turn my back towards him. I shift painfully until my back is facing him.

"It looks like the hem of your shirt was what caught on the rocks, half of the shirt is missing in the back. Your jacket is intact though, so that's a plus."

Milo gives Will and I, a running summary of my condition as he examines me.

"You're back is ripped up pretty bad, but it's not too serious if it's taken care of right away. Do you hurt anywhere else?"

I nod.

"My shoulders, arms, and legs."

He nods.

"I'll need to check those...do you mind?"

I shake my head and he helps me ease off my jacket.

"Oh...I can see where your shoulders are scraped up."

"Is the shirt torn?"

"No...but it's bloody."

I swallow hard and distract myself by checking up on Will. He's staring with a white face at my back and wincing as Milo starts to peel my shirt away from my bloody back.

"Hey Will, it's going to be okay, don't worry about it okay?"

I say lightly. He looks away quickly as my back and shoulders are revealed completely.

"Oh Mags...it's really bloody."

I grab hold of his hand and give him a smile.

"Hey, I'll be fine. Right Milo?"

I turn my head and see him raise his eyes from my wounds. He smiles at Will and says cheerfully.

"She'll be just fine once I wrap her up. Don't worry Will, I'll take care of her."  
He seems a little assured by this, but still keeps tight hold of my hand as Milo begins to clean the wounds. It hurts...a lot. But I don't show that it's hurting me because of Will. Every once in a while I'll flinch slightly but for the most part I just bite my tongue and push through it. After about a minute or so, Will leans forward and whispers.  
"You can squeeze my hand if you need to...I don't mind."  
I give him a tight smile and kiss his cheek.

"Thanks buddy, I'm fine."

After what seems like forever, Milo is spreading the antibiotic cream across my shoulders and back. It's soothing, and takes away a little of the pain.

"I need to take care of your arms before I wrap you up."  
Milo says as he sits back and sets the cream down. I stiffly straighten up as much as I can, and turn towards him. I haven't actually looked at my arms since I have been able to see them after taking off my jacket. I glance down at them and wish I hadn't.

The jacket provided little protection, it stopped the rocks from slicing through the skin, but failed to keep the jacket from rubbing the skin raw and to the point of bleeding. There are burn like marks all over my arms, and bleeding areas where the skin broke. I look to Will and distract both of us by telling him a funny story of when I was little.

I was seven at the time, Leroy was four, we decided to become mere people and refused to leave the ocean. We splashed about in the water waiting for our fins to grow, and the other mere people to come and take us to where they lived. We were convinced that if we stayed in the water long enough we would transform. Dad took a piece of driftwood shaped like a shark fin and swim close to us, which succeeded in scaring us out of the water. We decided that it would be better to stay as normal people so we don't have to swim away from sharks all the time.

The story keeps Will occupied, and has him laughing. I hear Milo chuckle a few times as well. Finally the wounds on my back shoulders and arms are all cleaned and wrapped up. I look down at my torso which is completely covered in bandages, even covering my sports bra, and laugh.

"Hey Will look, I'm a mummy!"

He giggles as I hold my arms loosely in front of me, droop my head to one side and let out a groan while staggering around the cave.

"Look out! It's a ancient mummy!"

Will hops up and runs away from me as his giggles fill the cavern. Milo shouts indignantly as I pass by him.  
"Hey, I still need to fix up your legs!"

Will and I pause in our antics, and look at Milo who is holding a roll of bandages and the jar of antibiotic cream. Will and I grin at each other and I submit to have my legs taken care of. When Milo is all finished, I am wrapped in bandages from my wrists to my waist, and my legs up to my knees.

"I look even more like a mummy now."

I say as I survey my appearance. Milo smiles and shrugs.  
"Maybe, but those bandages will keep your wounds clean and help them heal quicker. It's a good thing we had a lot of bandages, although you might have to rely on a sponsor if or when you need a change of wraps."

I shrug.  
"I'm sure I'll be fine..."

I pull on the remnants of my shirt, which has been washed and drying on the rocks while I was being fixed up. The short sleeve shirt only reaches the bottom of my ribcage now, but it's better than nothing. I pull down my pant legs which Milo had rolled up to work on my legs, and after pulling on my jacket, I feel much better and more comfortable.

"Um...bad news."

Will says suddenly, as he frowns at the floor. I look up confused.

"What is?"

He glances at the pool we emerged from.  
"You're going to have to swim back through."

This hadn't even crossed my mind, and now in spite of myself, I feel scared to go in the water. Scared of swimming for the first time in my life. I take a deep breath and turn to Milo.

"Do you think I could make it through with just the bandages on? Without my shirt and jacket I mean, that's what got stuck in the first place."

Milo thinks for a moment.

"It should be easy for you to make it back through if you didn't have your jacket on. We can stick it in one of the packs until we're on the other side."

I think for a moment.  
"What if the fire is still there?"

Milo shrugs.

"We'll wait."

Will glances at the dark water.

"How will we know how long to wait?"

Milo looks at the water as well.

"I'll go check, if there isn't a fire anymore. I should be able to tell from under the water."

After a brief discussion, we finally agree. Mostly because I won't let Will go, and they both say I shouldn't go in the water just yet. So Milo peels off his shirt, kicks off his shoes and jumps in the water.

Will and I wait for him to resurface.  
"Mags?"

"Yeah?"

Will hesitates and fiddles with his jacket zipper.

"Um...do you think Dash will send you some more bandages?"

I smile and ruffle his curls.  
"Will I'll be fine."

He suddenly turns on me and almost shouts.  
"No you won't! I'm not stupid Mags!"

I'm surprised by his outburst, and am about to scold him when I see tears in his eyes.

"I know what you're doing..."

He sniffs and a tear rolls down his cheek.

"Will, I..."

Before I can say anything, Milo's head pops from the surface and after taking a deep breath he says.

"The fire's gone."

Will quickly wipes his eyes and sniffs.

"Should we go then?"  
He nods and we start gathering our supplies. Soon we're plunging into the cool water and swimming towards the small hole that leads back into the open air. Will goes first, pulling the smallest pack along with him. I have our pack, and Milo holds his. Milo insisted on me being in the middle, just in case I get caught again he can help get me free. I'm hesitant about entering the tunnel, but after Will slides through easily, I force myself to swim in. It's less of a squeeze with my jacket gone, and soon I'm in the open pool of the waterfall. I break the surface and take a deep breath, a second later Milo does the same.

"Will!"

"I'm fine."  
He shouts back as he appears at the edge of the pool bank. He holds out a hand for my pack and I toss it up to him. He puts it aside and offers his hand to help me out. I take it and soon I am standing on the bank next to him. We both help Milo and his pack onto the bank, and then rest for a minute. I'm happy to find that my bandages have kept dry, and wonder if they are waterproof.

Will starts tugging on my jacket hem.  
"What is it Will?"

He just points, and following his finger I gasp.

The valley that had once been lush and beautiful, is a black barren wasteland. Several charred animal skeletons scatter the landscape and ash is being blown up with smoke in small breezes, creating little gray dust devils. We all stare in silent shock at the scene for a few moments. My eyes wandering over the destruction the gamemakers have caused.

"It was meant for us..."  
Will says quietly. I put my arm around him and glance at Milo. He's staring with hard eyes at the valley, his jaw and fists tightly clenched. I know he's thinking about Rosa. I gently place my hand on his shoulder.

"She's in a better place."

His shoulders slump, and he drops his head in despair, a tear falling from his eye. Will walks over and grabs his hand as he says quietly.  
"My mom is taking care of her now."

Milo smiles slightly and sighs.  
"Thank you. I hope you're right."  
Will smiles brightly.

"Course I'm right."

Milo takes a deep breath, and squares his shoulders.

"We should get back up there."  
He motions to the top of the waterfall, and we agree.

It takes us a long time to scale the cliff face up to the top again, and by the time we reach the top it's growing dark. We rest for a little while, and then Milo says quietly.

"Listen Mags...I..."

I nod.

"You don't have to explain."

Will looks from me to Milo, and then realizes what he was trying to say.  
"You're leaving?"

Milo smiles sadly and nods.

"There are only twelve of us left...it would be best to split up now."

Will looks sad and plops down on the grass. Milo gives me the rest of the bandages, which isn't much, and the other medical things.

"You need them."  
He says simply. I give him most of the food, knowing that Will and I can find food fairly easy. We split the rest of the supplies and he heaves his pack onto his shoulders. Will suddenly stands up and gives him a tight hug.  
"Thank you for helping my sister."  
He says with a sniff. I can tell Milo is touched by this, but trying to guard himself at the same time.

"No problem, you have to look after her now."

Will nods with a grin.  
"I was before you came along."

Milo smiles.

"And you did a fine job. Goodbye you two."  
We wave, and he quickly disappears into the trees. Will sniffs and wraps his arms around my waist.  
"Why did he have to be so nice?"

I hug him and shake my head.

"Why does any of this have to happen? Come on, we'd best find somewhere to camp."

By the time we find a suitable campsite and have partially set up, the anthem is playing, and Rosa's face appears in the sky. Will cries a little, and I have to take deep breaths to stop myself from breaking down. The audience can understand Will crying, he's so young and innocent, but I have to remain strong if we want any sponsors. Will is exhausted from the long day, so I order him to bed, telling him that I'll wake him up when I get sleepy.

He falls almost instantly to sleep, and I'm left alone to my thoughts. Mostly about home, my family...Felix.

I look down at the ring on my left hand, and watch the moonlight shine off the emerald. I look up at the moon and stars, hoping that Felix is watching.

"I love you."


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey!**

**So I haven't updated in a while because I haven't been feeling that good lately :P**

**Just really, really brain dead mostly...hard to think like that I guess.**

**Special shout out to the guest who reviewed as twistedBentley. You seriously rock! Thank you so much for the review! I was laughing the whole time I was reading it, and that's one of the main reasons I posted sooner than I would have. Had to prevent you from turning into a zombie now didn't I? ;)**

**You are awesome! And if you have or ever get an account on here, please send me a PM, I'd seriously love to talk. Hope you continue to enjoy the story! (even after I do some horrible things soon-ish!) Honsestly, I LOVED your review, and thank you so much once again for the encouragement. You my friend, are one of the die hard fans ;) use the title well. **

**So anyway! Moving on to the chapter, and I hope you all like it!**  
**PS: going to bawl when I write the next chapter... :'(**

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**Chapter Seventeen: Another day.**

I wake up, with a slight jolt and look around quickly.

"Will?"

I mumble sleepily. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes as I struggle out of the sleeping bag.

"Right here Mags."

He walks up to the camp holding a dead rabbit and his sling. He drops the rabbit on the ground and begins to start up the fire from last nights ashes. I stagger over to the fire, and slump down on the ground still rubbing my eyes. Will grins, and says cheerily.

"Well, I'm glad our camp was well guarded while I was away. No one would dare attack when they saw you."

I'm not thinking very clearly, and I yawn widely as I mutter.

"Why would that be?"

He giggles.

"Because your morning face and bed hair is enough to scare anything away."

I shoot him a glare and give him a push.  
"Hey! That's not very nice."

He continues to giggle and tosses me the dead rabbit.  
"Here, you two make a great couple."

I can't help laughing as I pick up the carcass and hold it next to me.

"We do don't we?"

I yawn again and drop the rabbit onto my lap, realizing that I'm getting blood on my pants, I push the rabbit off my lap and wrinkle my nose at the dead animal.

"Why don't you clean your lovely friend there and I'll get the fire going so we can have breakfast?"

I search the packs until I find a proper skinning knife, and get to work on the rabbit. Will starts up the fire and soon we have the rabbit meat skewered and roasting over the flames. I'm starting to wake up more now, and I try to tame my hair as much as possible by combing my fingers through it.

"That's not going to help much. You need a shower."

Will says matter-of-factly. I wince as my fingers catch in my knotted hair, I pull them out and give up on my blonde rats nest.

"I know that, but there aren't very many showers around if you noticed."

He grins and points behind us.

"Well the waterfall is back that way, you could try your luck there, although there isn't any shampoo or soap around."

I laugh and shrug.

"I don't have anyone to impress. We're here to survive, not to look pretty."

Will looks at me from the corner of his eyes and grins.  
"Yeah, although I bet Felix is watching us. He's probably going, 'Ugh! How could I ever love that dirty, greasy little slob?' I don't know Felix, but she looks even worse in person."

I jump up and chase him around the fire, he's laughing and skipping nimbly around our camp as I chase after him.  
"You cheeky little scamp! I'll get you for that!"

"No you won't!"

I finally give up and sit back by the fire, my arms crossed. Sulking. Will waits for a few moments on the other side of the fire before coming closer and sitting down. I ignore him and pull our meat of the fire, slicing a piece open to see if it's cooked sufficiently. It is, so I start to eat in silence. Will takes his and begins eating as well. After about a minute, Will sets his food down and looks at me cautiously.

"Mags? You're not mad at me are you? I'm sorry I was only teasing you...I didn't mean to make you upset."

I turn to look at him and give him a glare. He looks so pitiful and terrified, I hold the glare for about three seconds before I burst out laughing and give him a tight hug.

"Of course I'm not mad. I can't get really angry with you, no matter what."

He smiles and picks his food back up.

"Good! I never want you to be angry with me."  
I chuckle and finish my meat.

"Well, it still wasn't very nice."

He grins and shakes his curls.

"Hey, I'm a mess too."

I wrinkle my nose at him in mock disgust as I say.  
"I'm not even going to remark on the state of your hygiene."

He giggles and looks down at his clothes.

"Hey, your clothes got scrubbed remember? I never had the chance to do the washing, saving your life and everything."  
I shake my head and smile.  
"Milo saved my life, remember?"

He pouts and says indignantly.  
"Hey I helped!"

I ruffle his curls.

"I know you did. Come on, let's go looking for some more food."  
Will jumps up and dusts his pants off as much as he can.

"Why? Are you still hungry?"

I shake my head.

"No. But we need to stock up, you never know when it might grow scarce."

Will kicks some dirt over the fire, and grabs his pack and knife belt. I have my lance, a long knife and my pack. Will slips his sling into his belt loop and buckles the knife belt around his waist.

"Hey did you get the rabbit with your sling?"

He nods.  
"Yup."

"You must be a way better shot than I originally thought."  
He grins and shrugs.  
"No seriously, show me."

He sighs and pulls out his sling.  
"Do I have to?"

I grin.

"Yep. Come on marksman, show me what you got."  
He digs in his pocket and pulls out a small stone, fits it in his sling and starts to swing it around his head.

"What do you want me to hit?"

I look around for a target.  
"Can you try for that rotten log over there? You see where it has the big dark spot?"

Before I'm finished pointing out the location, there is a whistle and the sound of rotten wood being smashed. Small pieces of bark and rotted wood spray into the air and my jaw drops. Will turns his head to the side slightly and squints at the log fifty feet away.

"I missed the middle."  
He sounds disappointed. I laugh and walk over to the log, the pebble is lodged and inch into the rotten wood, and is only a little over and inch away from the dead center.

"Will! That's amazing!"

He shrugs and digs at the hole with a knife tip.

"I still missed the middle."  
I hug him and kiss his head.

"Oh stop it, that's not even a proper circle anyway."

He shrugs and loops his sling back into his belt.

"What do you have to shoot with? Just pebbles?"

He nods sadly.  
"They won't stop a tribute..."

I nudge him and smile.

"I wouldn't say that little David."  
He grins and shrugs.  
"Well I wish I had some real ammunition."  
I frown.  
"What would you use?"

He thinks for a moment.  
"In the training center, they used these little tiny metal balls that when you flung them, spikes would pop out. When they were opened they looked like little mace heads."

I shudder slightly as I think of the damage those could inflict. But I know how helpful they would be in our defence. Suddenly we both spin around as we hear a small beeping sound. I have my lance and knife ready, and Will's sling is whirling above his head as we look for danger. To my surprise, a silver parachute floats gently down through the trees towards us. Landing about twenty feet in front of us. It's making a small clicking sound as it sits patiently in the grass.

"What is it?"

Will asks slowly. I laugh and drop my weapons.  
"It's a sponsor gift!"

Will whoops and runs with me to the parachute. I grab the small silver container attached and twist off the lid. Inside are several objects. One is a small pouch with a belt clip, there is a large 'W' printed on the side, so I hand it to Will. He opens it quickly and cries out happily.

"It's the ammunition!"

In the palm of his hand are several metal spheres the size of marbles. He quickly attaches the pouch to his belt, and admires his new addition to his armory.

"Nice, feel better now?"

He laughs and nods.  
"Yup, I can stop anyone with these."

I smile.  
"Good."

"What else is in there?"

Will asks as he points to the canister and leans over my shoulder. I pull out a metal object and look it over.

"What is it?"

Will picks it up and studies it for a moment.

"Oh! I know what it is!"

He picks up the wooden lance I carved, and slides the metal over the end. There's a small buzzing sound, and the thing twists once or twice around the wood. It settles and then a sharp metal edge flips out of one side.

"See? It's a lance head."

He hands it to me, and I look over my improved weapon. The metal is secured tightly to the wood somehow, and the tip is razor sharp.

"How did you know?"

I ask confused. He shrugs.  
"Dash told me some about sponsor gifts, what kind of things they send and that sort of stuff."

I nod and shift my pack on my shoulders.

"Well, thanks to Dash, and whoever provided the money for the sponsor gifts."  
Will smiles.  
"Thank you Dash!"

He faces me and says cheerfully.

"I knew he would take care of us. Anytime we really need something he'll just send it to us and we'll be alright."  
I smile and shrug.

"Maybe. Come on, I feel a little safer now."  
We begin to search the woods for any food we can find. Will brings down a squirrel, but other than that we don't have much luck. It's growing later in the afternoon, and we're still combing the woods for any signs of game. We remain unsuccessful and around noon we stop for a short break. Will discovers some wild onions and we munch on those and some left-over rabbit meat.

"Where do you think all the animals went?"

Will asks quietly. I shrug.

"They might just live further in the woods. We just have to keep looking."  
Will nods, and suddenly sniffs the air.  
"Do you smell that?"

I giggle.  
"What? Onion breath?"

He smiles.  
"No, not that. I smell mint."  
He digs around the undergrowth for a few moments, and finally finds a small patch of mint. He plucks a few leaves and tosses them to me.  
"Here you go, at least you can do something about your breath."  
I chuckle quietly as I begin to chew the refreshing leaves. Will sticks a few in his mouth as well, and we start off again. It's around two o'clock now, and we still haven't had any luck with spotting food. I begin to wonder if there is a reason we can't find any animals.

"Will? Do you think there's a reason that there aren't any animals around?"

He thinks for a moment.  
"Hmm...I don't know. What kind of reason?"

I shrug.

"Maybe...they know something we don't."  
He smiles.  
"What? The grass is greener on the other side of the forest?"

I laugh and bump shoulders with him.  
"I don't know silly. It's probably just me being paranoid."

He is silent for a few moments.  
"What are you thinking about?"

He shrugs.  
"You kind of have to be paranoid in here. That's all."  
I nod.

"True. Are you feeling alright?"

He looks up.

"What? Yeah I'm fine."  
He gives me a small smile, but I can tell there's something wrong.

"Will..."

He droops his head and shrugs.  
"What?"

"What's going on?"

He sighs, and kicks a small stone out of the way.  
"I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen..."

I smile.  
"That sort of comes with being in here."  
He shrugs and remains quiet. I don't say anything for a moment, then quietly I ask.

"Are you worried about Lola?"

He kicks another stone.  
"Well yeah...and you. I don't want anyone else to die...not even the careers."  
"I know..."

We walk in silence for a few more minutes.

"I'm not very good at this."  
Will mumbles. I stop him and frown.  
"What do you mean?"

He raises his arms and gestures around us.  
"I'm not good in here, I'm not good at this...any of it."  
I shake my head.

"Will, no one should ever be good at killing. This isn't something people are good at. Don't you dare feel bad because you care about people alright?"

He nods slowly.  
"I wish I didn't...it makes everything harder."  
I give him a hug.

"I'm glad you do. The harder it is, the more you know how wrong it is."  
He looks up at me and has alarm in his eyes. I realize with a pang of fear that I just said that the Capitol is wrong. I swallow hard and smile at Will.

"I'm not sorry for the truth. Come on, we have some food to find."

We continue on our way, although now I too feel the overshadowing feeling that something bad is going to happen. Well, you have sworn to die in here so Will can live. I guess that feeling has a right to be there. After all, it's been over a week in the games, there are only twelve tributes left. How much longer do you have really?

I feel a heavy weight on my chest and I fight the urge to cry. It's for Will, it's all for Will. He has to live and go back home. My father, Leroy, Felix, he has to be with them. I have to die. I have to accept that.

"Mags?"

I break out of my thoughts and look down.

"Hmm?"

Will is looking up at me with a slightly embarrassed expression and hopping from one foot to the other. I laugh and wave off into the trees.  
"Go on."  
He frowns.  
"How did you know?"

I giggle and give him a small push.  
"Who do you think potty trained you? Go on I'll wait right here."

He grins and dashes off. I sit down on a fallen log and set my pack down, rubbing the back of my neck as I stretch my shoulders.

If I were at home, Felix would make me some tea and rub my shoulders and neck until I was relaxed. Then he would sit in his special hammock chair and let me curl up with him and drink the tea. He would never say anything, just keep his arms wrapped around my waist and his chin on my shoulder. We would sit like that for hours, just watching the ocean and listening to the waves. Sometimes he would talk to me about his family, we would talk about the future, so bright and full of joy ahead of us.

He would kiss my temple and whisper that he loved me softly. Most of the time we would end up falling asleep, contentedly curled up together. He would always play with my hair until he dozed off, his head resting gently on the back of my neck. I asked him one time why he played with my hair and he just smiled and said.  
"It's so beautiful not to play with."

I run a hand over the greasy tangled mess it is now, and smile slightly. Not so beautiful now, although...if I were to go home right now, Felix would still tell me it was beautiful.

"Mags!"

I hear the frantic cry and I am on my feet in an instant, running towards the voice with weapons ready.

"Will!"  
He suddenly dashes out from behind a tree and runs straight into me. He's panting hard and his eyes are wide and scared.

"Will are you okay? What happened?"

He gasps several times and says quickly.  
"They've got her Mags!"

I shake my head.

"Will what do you mean? They've got who? And who is they?"

He glances over his shoulder and looks back at me quickly, his blue eyes full of tears and his voice urgent.

"The careers Mags...they have Lola!"


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello!**

**Sorry I haven't updated in a little while, just procrastinating...not looking forward to the continuation of this story. :(**

**This chapter is a bit...I don't know, sad, suspenseful, action packed, depressing, and it leaves you hanging...just to warn you.**

***sigh***

**Alright, moving on to the chapter! Reviews are what my imaginatron feeds off of, it works like magic! SO be sure to leave one!**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Rescue...**

I stare at him for a moment, not sure what to do, my mind racing while my body is frozen.

"Mags! We have to do something! We have to help her!"

Will's urgent cry faintly registers as my mind starts moving a hundred thoughts per minute.

Lola is captured, by the careers. The careers want Will and I dead, probably the most of all the tributes. Helping her would be like walking into our own execution. I can't put Will at risk, so helping, is not an option. The sweet innocent girl with the auburn hair and big brown eyes cuts into my vision. Her small frame, cheerful demeanor and willingness to help others, her quiet voice and childish trust. All this blinks through my thoughts in a moment.

"Mags!"

I clear my head, and look down at Will. He's holding onto my hand tightly, and his electric blue eyes are filled with tears. Through this, there's an intensity on his face, a deep determination.

"Please."

The word is quiet, but the force behind the plea is so strong, I feel myself waver.

"She would do the same for us."

I know she would, and she would have no way to help, her demise would be assured. Will and I have weapons, we can fight, we can help.

"We have to do this, but only on my conditions. You listen to me no matter what."

Will nods quickly, but I can see the question in his eyes. I hold his shoulders tightly, and stare hard into his eyes.

"No matter _what!_ Understand? You follow my _every_ command, with absolutely _no _question what so ever. Got it?"

He hesitates, before nodding slowly, hopeless desperation in his eyes.

"Good boy. Where are they?"

I take a brief second to ready my weapons and secure the pack then I follow Will quickly through the trees. He leads me on a twisting path, and soon I see why. The careers are in a small clearing, and Will's been leading me around so that we are at their side. My heart sinks as I take in the scene, and my stomach knots in fear.

All four careers are there, I guess they don't take much for keeping a guard posted. Suzan and Burk are standing to one side of the clearing, holding their weapons ready, but fairly relaxed. Champion is standing beside a sapling, the sapling of a giant tree being around the size of a full-grown ash. Lola is tied to the sapling, her small frame pinned to the tree, her eyes wide and scared. I see a few cuts and scrapes on her face, and there are bruises on her arms. I look at Champion, and see he has scratches on his arms and a cut across his left cheek, obviously Lola put up a fight.

It didn't help much in the end, and as I turn to look at Ruby, I see she bears several scratches as well. That's why they didn't kill her right away, they wanted to make it slow, Ruby wanted revenge. Lola's fate is going to be long and slow, a good show for the Capitol.

I can imagine them, getting a little bored over the lack of bloodshed. Now they have a tribute captured by the careers, and they're looking in on Will and I, knowing we are planning to attempt a rescue. Oh yes, they're going crazy right now.

My mind flashes briefly to my family, they are probably torn up inside that I'm putting us both at risk by trying to rescue Lola, but knowing I had no other choice. Dash on the other hand, is probably slamming his head against the wall, cursing me and thinking up some colorful things to say about me. I don't let this trouble me. He doesn't deserve to be tortured any more, but he knows I have the right to make my own choices. He knows I don't want to live with the guilt he lives with every day.

"What do we do?"

Will asks in a hoarse whisper. My eyes quickly scan the position of the clearing, the area around the clearing, and the careers.

Champion has his spear handy, Burk and Suzan are holding their weapons, and Ruby is slowly sharpening her wicked curved blade. The scimitar is an evil-looking weapon, and in her hands, a death sentence. I quickly formulate possible actions in my head, forming one, dumping it, forming another, pushing aside due to risks.

"Okay, here's what we'll do."

I turn to him and make sure he has his full attention on me.

"You sneak around the other side of the clearing, get behind the tree Lola is tied to, then use one of your knives to cut her free, make sure you do this without the careers noticing. Once you've cut through the ropes, hold them in place and tell Lola to cough, that will be my signal. Understand so far?"

He nods, absorbing my every word.

"Good. The cough will be my signal, I'll distract the careers until I have all their attention on me, when I mess with my hair, you take Lola and run. No listen to me. You sneak her away alright? Try not to let the careers notice. I'll try to keep their attention on me long enough for you to get away. Take Lola to our camp, and stay there."

He interrupts me quickly.

"What about you?"

I shake my head.  
"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Wait for me at the camp alright? Don't move for _anything_ understand? You have to keep Lola safe now."

He's about to say something else, when I quickly say.

"Listen, when I run away, I'll lead the careers in the opposite direction of the camp. I'll give them the slip, but I probably won't be able to get back to camp until later. You wait until it gets dark, if something goes wrong, and you see my face in the sky," I cut off his comment and say quickly, "If that happens, you are to take care of Lola. Don't stay in one place for too long, keep moving and avoid the careers. You can get food, and we have sponsors, you'll be alright."

He nods very slowly.  
"This is all a big if Will, I'll be alright. I'll get away."

He looks uncertain, and he knows I'm putting on a show of false confidence, because in truth, I doubt the careers will let me go so easily. But I can't let Will worry about me.

"Will, you have to do exactly what I say, understand? If you don't, you'll be putting _both _of us in greater danger. And Lola as well."

He nods, determined.

"Alright Mags. You'll be careful?"

I smile.

"Of course."

He takes a deep breath and glances back to the clearing, fear growing in his eyes. I turn and see what has caused his distress. Ruby is up, and she has her scimitar held loosely in her grasp, slowly advancing towards Lola.

"Go now! Remember exactly what I told you."  
Will nods, and slides off into the undergrowth with lightning speed. I turn my attention to the clearing, knowing that soon I'll have to think of some way to distract the careers, while buying Will and Lola time to get away.

"This isn't going to end well."

I mutter to myself. There's a sense of calm over me though, like I must accept whatever is to come. I've heard this is sometimes what people feel before they die. Maybe this is the end of my road, maybe this is the last part I play in these games.

I just hope Will survives without me. He will. He's probably more capable than I am of winning this thing.

I'm distracted from my thoughts as movement in the clearing grabs my attention. Ruby is now only a foot away from the constrained Lola, I can see the terror on her face as Ruby slightly shifts the scimitar so that the light flashes off the blade.

"So you little pest!"

Ruby hisses the last word, her voice low and dangerous, a deadly calm. I'm at such a viewing point to where I am at a slight angle to Ruby and the tree, giving me a view of both Ruby and Lola.

"Do you regret fighting back now?"

Ruby asks slowly, raising the scimitar and gently brushing a loose strand of hair from Lola's face. Lola whimpers, and closes her eyes as Ruby continues.  
"See, if you hadn't fought back and behaved like a good little girl. Your death would have been swift and almost completely painless. But, see this?"

Ruby tilted her head to one side, pulling her hair back to reveal and ugly scratch across her face, stretching from the bridge of her nose to beneath her ear.

"As much as I like scars, this one will never do. You've ruined my pretty face, and now, I'm going to ruin yours."

I turn away and grind my teeth as I try to block out Lola's pitiful scream as Ruby slowly carves the scimitar down her cheek. I think of Will, and desperately hope that through the agonizing screams, he realizes that if he doesn't stick to the plan, there's no saving her. I force myself to turn back to the clearing, and see Ruby lift the scimitar suddenly, and take a step back. Admiring her work.

There's a long cut from Lola's cheek bone to her jaw line, scarlet blood flowing from the wound and slowly sliding down her neck. Lola's eyes are streaming tears, but she bites her lip and strives to be brave.

"That-a girl!"

I hear Ruby say mockingly as she sees Lola's effort not to break down. Ruby smiles and turns to the other tributes.  
"Isn't she a brave little thing? Why she's refusing to scream and beg for her life. I must say, her District must be _so proud_ of her to be showing this kind of defiance to the careers."

While Ruby is saying all this, I catch the sudden look of surprise cross Lola's face, and I know Will has alerted her that we are here. Champion is far enough away from the tree to where Will could whisper and only Lola would hear. I see a blade flash behind the tree, and I know Will is cutting her loose. Ruby suddenly turns back to the tree, and Lola, a surprising actress, immediately masks her face from giving anything away, and whimpers.

"What's this? Isn't that lovely cut I gave you hurting anymore? Why don't you scream?"

Ruby viciously presses the point of her scimitar to Lola's other cheek, and begins to slice down. Lola begins to scream again, and I can tell she's struggling not to writhe against the ropes, lest they slip and give away our plan.

"Hang in there girl."  
I whisper under my breath, hoping desperately that she stays strong. Ruby finally steps away and laughs.

"Look! Now they're matching."

Sure enough, Lola now has two identical scars on either side of her face. The front of her shirt is beginning to soak in blood, and if we don't act soon, she might pass out before Will can get her back to camp and the medical supplies.

"What have you got to say for yourself? Do you like your scars?"

Ruby jeers at her, self consciously running a hand across her own marked face. Lola speaks up bravely.

"With these scars I now have, people will only pity me more and call me 'poor little thing' I'll get more attention than before. But no one will give you a second glance with your face marked up. You'll be just another ugly face in the crowd."

I can see the pain register on Ruby's face, Lola's jeer had dug farther than she knew. Ruby obviously is very vain, but there's something else there, some deeper wound that Lola's managed to re-open. Ruby's eyes harden, and she slowly raises the scimitar, ready for the kill.

"Big mistake."  
She says quietly, and even though her voice is low, I hear the catch in it. Lola's eyes grow wide in fear as Ruby braces herself for the death-blow, suddenly, Lola coughs and I stand up and step into the clearing.

"Hey!"

I shout, just as Ruby is swinging the blade. She stops it a fraction away from Lola's neck, and there's a moment of dead silence. All the other careers are staring at me with open mouths, knowing better than to move without a word from Ruby. Lola's eyes are terrified, and I can see she's almost unconscious with the stress of the situation. I can imagine Will on the other side of the tree, holding the ropes together and holding his breath, waiting to see what happens.

My heart is pounding, and I can feel adrenaline pumping hard through my veins, but I am still able to maintain a cool calmness.

"Do my ears deceive me?"

Ruby says as she slowly lowers her blade and turns around. As her eyes alight on me, she smiles wickedly and looks at me eagerly.

"Do my eyes deceive me as well?"

I stare evenly at her, refusing to feel fear. Ignoring everything but Ruby.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size?"

I say in an even voice. She laughs and points her scimitar at Lola.

"You mean her? Oh she's just a little play thing to keep me from getting too bored."

I stretch my arms wide, one hand grasping the lance, the other my long knife.

"Wouldn't it be fun to play with a bigger toy? What sport can you possibly get from a little girl tied to a tree? Where's the thrill in it?"

I can see her considering this, and the eagerness in her eyes to fight me is terrifying.

"Why fight with me oh Lady of the sea?"

She asks, mockingly using my Capitol bestowed title. I shrug, appearing bored.

"I thought you wanted to. It's going to come down to it one way or another right? Why not here and now?"

Ruby glances at Lola, and I can tell she's thinking that she can always come back to her later. If only she knew.

"You make a tough case Four,"

"You can call me Mags, if you don't think it's beneath you."

"Fine, Mags. I assume you have some rules you'd like to propose?"

I shrug.

"You wouldn't listen anyway."  
She smiles.

"Very true. Looks like you're not a dumb blonde after all."

I grin and remark casually.  
"Really? How many centuries old is that expression?"

Ruby flexes her arms casually and tightens her grip on the scimitar.  
"Name your conditions."  
I nod my head towards the other careers.

"They stay out of it, this is between you, and me."  
She nods.

"Agreed."  
I gesture with my lance at Suzan and Burk.

"Have Champ stand over by those two where I can see all of them."

Ruby nodded to Champion, and he moved over by Suzan and Burk. Now all their backs are turned to Lola's tree, and soon I'll give Will the signal to get away. But first I have to secure their attention on me.

"Perfect. You ready Ruby?"

She rolls her head from one shoulder to the other, and grins.  
"I've been waiting for this for a long time."

She takes a step forward, pausing and waiting for me to come to her. Great, that gives her the advantage. My mind races furiously, trying to think of something that will get their undivided attention. Suddenly the solution hits me, I need to make the fight more interesting.

"Tell you what, to make it more interesting, let's put aside our main weapons."  
Ruby narrows her eyes, confused and alert.

"What do you mean?"

I shrug.  
"The fight will be harder and last longer if we only use knives. Think about it."  
She ponders this for a moment, then points her scimitar at my chest.

"Drop the Lance first."

I know I'm taking a huge risk by dropping my main weapon, but it's the only way. I carefully lower my lance to the ground, and release it. Then I slowly straighten up and brush the hair out of my face, not daring to look towards the tree for fear of giving Will and Lola away.

"Now the scimitar."

I say slowly, carefully. Ruby hesitates for a moment, but apparently the promise of a challenging fight outweighs a quick death. She tosses her scimitar to Champion, and draws a wicked dagger.

"This is going to be fun."  
She says with an evil grin. I take a deep breath, and fight to keep calm. Ruby is about to start circling me, but then that would turn her towards the tree, so I take a step in her direction. She smiles and pauses. I take the opportunity to glance briefly towards the tree, I feel a sense of relief as I see the ropes hanging loosely on the ground. Will and Lola managed to get away, though they're not safe yet, I need to buy them time to get well away.

"Stop stalling."

I lunge at Ruby with my knife raised, she's taken slightly by surprise, but reacts quickly and blocks my knife with her own. The momentum of my attack forces Ruby onto one knee, but I know this is not an advantage on my part. She is still holding my knife at bay with her blade, and suddenly she lashes out with her leg, and her boot catches me on the bottom of my ribcage. I gasp, the air knocked out of me, Ruby takes this opportunity to shove me up and back.

I land on my bottom hard, and scramble to stand up as Ruby stabs at me gleefully. I don't have time to stand up and block her strike, so I drop lower and roll out of the way. I feel her blade graze my shoulder and anticipating her next move, I flip onto my back and kick to my left. I feel my foot come in contact with something, and Ruby snarls with rage. I've bought myself the time to stand up and take the offensive.

I through a handful of dirt at her face, and she instinctively looks away and raises her hand. I dart forward and am about to bring my knife down towards her head, when with lightning speed she throws her knife arm up and catches my blade. Now begins a struggle for the upper hand.

Ruby is laying on her back with both hands grasping her knife hilt, holding my blade at bay. I'm crouching over her, trying to push my knife down, but she's too strong and so the struggle continues.

"Ready to give up?"

She says in a strained voice.

"Never."  
I gasp, I can feel my arms tiring, and I know it won't be long before she has the advantage. I decide to try and shift the odds in my favor for once, and twist my blade suddenly, catching her on the arm. She screams and with a savage burst of energy, she twists my knife out of my hand. I react quickly and kick her wrist as hard as I can, the result being that her knife flies out of her hand. I lunge for the fallen knife, but before I can reach it, I feel her hands clamp vise-like on my ankles, her fingernails digging into my skin.

She drags me away from the knife, despite my kicking and struggling and flips me over. She's sitting on my ribcage in a split second, and pinning my arms to the ground. I can feel blood from her arm dripping on my wrist as she leans close to my face and hisses.

"No one draws my blood and gets away from it."

This is where she made a horrid mistake, if she had known anything about me, she would have known that this position that we're in right now, is not to her advantage. I grew up with two younger brothers, I know how to wrestle as good as any boy. This hold is one of the easier to get out of, and the great thing about it is, no one ever expects it.

"At least not yet."

I say with a grin. She looks confused, and that's when I spit in her face.

I've always been proud of the fact that I could spit farther than most boys, but I never thought it would save my life. Her reaction of course, is to jerk her head back, straightening up and screeching in rage, now getting out of the hold is just a few simple steps. It's a good thing I'm flexible.

I twist my legs up and wrap them around her shoulders, then with a strong use of my abs, I yank her off of my stomach and slam her onto the ground. My legs are now crossed over her collarbone, and my feet hooked together, keeping my hold tight. She's obviously surprised, and infuriated. She tries to kick me, her legs still free, but I lean forward and wrap my arms around her thighs, pinning her legs to my sides. She is able to move her legs from her knees down, but she can't get sufficient force to hurt me, although her heels will leave dark bruises on my back for a while.

"You dirty little &$#%!"

She shrieks, struggling to get free. Since my legs are crossed on her collarbone, her arms are still relatively free, although she can't really get at me because my knees block most of her arm range. She struggles for a little while, screeching and swearing the whole time, I score more bruises on my back, and I would have scratches on my back and shoulders, but the thick bandages keep me protected.

"Give up?"

I shout above her cries. She just lets out a scream and sends a fresh string of curses at me. I'm stuck now, I can't let her out of this hold, and I don't have a weapon to finish her off, I don't think I could kill her in cold blood even if I did. I don't know if I could kill her at all. We're both tiring fast, and now we're just playing a waiting game, who can hold out the longest?

"I'm going to rip your throat out! I will make your death slow, so slow. Oh yes, the audience will get a good show! I'll make it last for days!"

Ruby continues to shriek. Suddenly I feel a pair of giant hands clamp onto my shoulders and jerk me up and off of Ruby. I struggle to break free, but the grip is strong, and unyielding, like the roots of a tree.

"No fair!"

I screech, still struggling as fear tightens its icy grip on me. The hands move quickly to my arms, and roughly grips and twists them behind my back. I resist the urge to scream, grinding my teeth together instead.

"Hold still."  
I hear a deep voice grate in my ear. Burk is the one holding me. I am as good as dead. Ruby has been lying gasping on the ground, trying to regain her strength. She finally rolls onto her side, and slowly stands up.

She faces me, her lip bleeding from where my boot hit her, and her chin is starting to bruise. She's still slightly out of breath, but her eyes are burning with intense hate.

"You're going to be sorry you ever tried to best me."  
She hisses as she retrieves her sword from Champion. I can't help laughing, why not? I'm about to die anyway, I might as well be myself.

"Tried? I had you beat ages ago, you wouldn't be standing there if you hadn't cheated!"

She grins evilly.  
"Cheated? I never cheated. I wasn't the one who told Burk to pull you off me, I could have handled it."

I roll my eyes.  
"Oh please, you didn't grow up with two younger brothers, I had you beat by a mile."

She curls her lip back and lowers her voice to a vicious snarl.

"You don't know anything about me."

She changes her mood suddenly, and smiles. Raising her scimitar towards me.

"Now, let's have some fun shall we?"

I try to push away from her, but Burk's grip on my arms only grows stronger. I'm clearly not going anywhere.

"Oh don't leave, the fun hasn't even started yet."

Ruby steps closer and runs her eyes over me carefully, deciding where to start.

"Does it really matter where you start cutting me up?"

I say in a bored voice.

"I'm going to end up dead either way aren't I?"

She nods her head.

"Yes, you will end up dead, I'm just trying to decide which will be the slowest way."

I swallow hard and keep my chin high. Knowing that my family is watching me. Felix would want me to be strong at the end. Dash is probably going insane right now.

Why do I always think about them together? Thinking of their different reactions, what they're thinking, what they're doing.

"Any last words?"

Ruby says slowly as she casually brushes her fingertips against the flat of the blade. I think for a few moments.

"Maybe you'd like to tell your Bo that you love him one last time."  
She says it jeeringly, but I say it anyway.

"I love you Felix. Look out for my family."

She giggles evilly and says.

"Go on, tell your family the same."  
I glare at her as I say.  
"Dad, Leroy, I love you both. Stay strong without me."

She laughs and looks up at the sky.

"Ladies and gentlemen, aren't your hearts bleeding for this poor soul?"

She turns back to me.  
"Now, let the fun begin."

She steps closer to me again, and gently rests the scimitar tip against my shoulder.

"Those bandages won't help you know."  
She says quietly as she applies pressure to the scimitar. I clench my jaw and grit my teeth as the tip slowly breaks the skin and begins to draw blood. Once the tip is about an eighth of an inch into my skin, she begins to painstakingly pull the blade down towards my arm.

I refuse to scream or cry, so I just stare hard at her, my body quivering from my tense muscles. She meets eyes with me, and stares hard for a moment. I know she can see the hardness and hatred in my eyes, in hers I only see pleasure and slight disappointment at my lack of tears.

"You will scream."  
She says slowly. I inhale deeply, my breath shaky from the pain.  
"Never."

She smiles and savagely twists the scimitar deeper into my shoulder. I grind my teeth hard, fighting the pain, fighting the urge to scream.

"Tough aren't you?"

Ruby says gleefully, glad at the chance of trying to break me. She removes the tip from my shoulder, and lifts it to my face.

"I wonder how tough you'll be when your eyes are bleeding."

I shrink away from the blade, my head coming in contact with Burk's chest, and now I have no where to go. The tip of the blade draws steadily closer, my pupils dilate, my eyes wide in terror.

"You will scream."  
She says quietly, drawing the words out. Suddenly I hear a sharp whistle cut across the air, and Ruby is thrown back, her scimitar clattering to the ground as her arm grows limp. She lets out a fierce shriek of pain, and I see a hole in her shoulder, blood quickly soaking her arm. I hear another whistle and Burk roars with pain and releases me. I'm confused for a moment, but then I see the small metal object Burk dug out of his leg.

"Mags run!"

Will's shout confirms my suspicion and I scramble for my lance. Ruby is still screaming with rage and pain, and Burk is limping for cover. Suzan and Champion look confused and have no idea what to do.

"Don't let her get away!"  
Ruby shrieks. Champion sprints for me, and is about to slice me with his long dagger when my hand closes around my lance. I flip over and catch the dagger blade in the middle of my lance.

"Mags!"

I catch sight of Will out of the corner of my eye, and he whirls his sling towards Champion. Champion pulls away and holds his knife defensively.

"Go Mags! Now!"

I quickly stand beside Will.

"I told you to stay put!"

"Just go already! I'm right behind you!"  
The quickest way out of the clearing, is to run to our right, but that leads us in the way of the careers.

"Come on!"  
Will slings a metal sphere at Champion, forcing him to throw himself on the ground. Will grabs my hand and pulls me towards the edge of the clearing.

"Go! Go!"

I start running faster, making sure that Will is right beside me. Someone suddenly throws a large branch towards me, I jump, but my ankles still catch and I trip, falling head first onto the ground, my ankle throbbing painfully.

"Mags look out!"

From the corner of my eye I see Will run in front of me, and Ruby appears out of nowhere, they're standing face to face and there's a moment of tension. Suddenly I hear a shout from behind me and I turn. My jaw drops in shock as I see Melinda dash out of the trees, her short sword raised. My confusion only increases as Steel and the District Seven tributes dash out of the trees. The careers dash off, hotly pursued by the howling tributes from District Seven and Ten.

I slowly scramble to my feet and stagger slightly. Regaining my balance, I take a few steps forward and pick up my lance. Then I turn around.

"Will?"

He turns around with a slightly startled expression, which I'm sure is similar to the one on my face.

"What just happened?"

I ask. He grins and shrugs.  
"I have no idea."  
Then he laughs.

"I did it!"

I chuckle.  
"Did what?"

He shrugs.

"Dash didn't believe I could rescue you, I told him before we left that I would prove him wrong."  
I grin.

"That's what you whispered to him before we boarded the hovercraft?"

He nods and grins. Then he coughs several times, holding a hand to his stomach for support.

"You alright?"

He straightens up.

"Yeah just had a tickle, I think I swallowed some dirt or something..."  
He trails off as he stares in shock at his hand. I gasp as I see that his palm is crimson with blood.

"Will..."  
He looks down and slowly pulls his jacket open, I stare in horror at the long slit on the right side of his stomach. His shirt is quickly soaking in blood, and it begins to drip down his leg. He looks up at me with a confused expression on his face.

"Mags?"

The way he says it...he's confused, he wants me to tell him what happened, what's wrong. He wants me to fix it. I am frozen in horror and I can't breathe. He looks at me with a pained expression, and collapses on the ground.

The scream comes reactively.

"WILL!"


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey!**

**I know I left you hanging like REALLY bad last chapter, and I am sort of sorry...not really :P**

**I've been procrastinating as much as possible for this next chapter, and I actually intended the contents of the this chapter to be in the last one, but it was longer than I intended, and I had an excuse to put it off even longer...naughty me! I shouldn't keep you waiting any longer...so I guess I'll get on with the chapter.**

**Warning, if you are sensitive or overly emotional, I suggest you either not read the following chapter, or have a box of tissues handy :(**

***sniffle* here we go...**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: Life; a fate worse than death.**

Will collapses. I scream. A brief image flashes before my eyes.

When I fell and Will stood over me, Ruby was there...I remember catching a glimpse of her scimitar before she ran. The blade was red.

I can't seem to move, my body is frozen in horror as I stare at my little brother, all this is flashing before me in a spilt second.

"WILL!"

The scream escapes my lips involuntarily and suddenly I find myself kneeling on the ground beside Will. His back is to me, and I can see a dark stain quickly spreading across his jacket. The blade must have gone right through. No that's impossible...he didn't get hurt...I was right there!

"Will, oh please Will!"

I slowly ease him onto his back, and pull open his jacket. I gasp and feel sick to my stomach when I see the long slit in his shirt, blood is quickly clotting around the wound, and the front of his shirt is soaked red.

"Mags."

My attention snaps towards his face, and I see his eyes are open, and he looks fine, although a bit pale.  
"Will! Oh thank goodness! I'm going to apply pressure to the wound, it's going to hurt but it will help with the blood flow okay?"

As I say this, I press both of my palms against the wound and hold them there, my fear growing as I feel how much blood is leaking from between my fingers.

"Mags..."  
He says quietly, reaching out and touching my arm. I fight the panic in my voice.  
"What?"

He gives me a small smile.

"It doesn't hurt."

I fight a sob as tears fill my eyes, I take a deep breath and try a weak smile.  
"That's good, you're going to be fine."  
He giggles weakly and says in a chiding voice.

"Mags, our dad is a doctor, I think I've learned enough to know what feeling no pain means."  
I choke on a sob, and tears spill from my eyes as I shake my head.  
"No, no...you're going to be fine...Dash will send some medicine, you'll see. He'll make sure you'll be fine."  
Will lets out a small sigh and says slowly.

"Mags, Dash can't save me. No one can now."

"No!"

He pulls my hands off his wound and holds them up to my face.

"Look Mags! I don't feel _anything_, that means I'm dying!"

I jerk my hands from his grasp and shake my head, refusing to accept it, there has to be something, some medicine from the capitol.

"No! Dash will send something, he can save you."  
Will sighs and shifts slightly.  
"Please don't do this...not now."  
I sob and the tears stream down my cheeks. I cradle his head in my lap and try not to have a panic attack as I see the blood on my hands.  
"Hey Mags?"

I manage to choke out between sobs.

"Ye...yes?"

He tilts his head so he can look at me, and he wipes the tears off my face.

"Don't cry, it makes your pretty eyes sad."  
I sob and nod slowly.

"Alright...I'll stop crying."  
He relaxes and closes his eyes, saying in a tired voice.

"Good, you were getting me wet."  
I can't help laughing, as I bend down and kiss his forehead.

"I love you buddy."  
He smiles.  
"I love you too."

My knees are starting to get damp from the blood leaking out his back, Will shifts slightly and asks curiously.

"Hey Mags? Did the blade go right through me?"

I bite my lip as I nod slowly, Will looks down at the slit on his stomach.  
"Can you see right through me?"

I sniff and wipe my nose.  
"I don't think so."

He looks disappointed as he leans his head back down on my lap.

"Oh, too bad, that would have been cool."  
This brings another small laugh from me, Will smiles and says.

"You have a beautiful laugh, you should do it more often."

I feel the tears building in my eyes again. This isn't happening. He's going to be fine. Dash will send something...there has to be something he can do. Will isn't going to...

"Mags, would you do me a favor?"

I nod.

"I've read in books, that when a sailor died, they would do this ceremony where they laid him to rest in the ocean. It was a way to honor his life at sea. Do you think when they send my body back home, they could do that for me? I've always wanted it to be like that..."

I fight a sob as I say.  
"You're not going to die Will...you'll be fine."  
He ignores this and just looks at me, his intense blue eyes pleading.  
"Please Mags? Promise me?"

I can't deny him, so I nod slowly, tears beginning to flow down my cheeks again.  
"You're crying again. I don't want my last moments to be all depressing with you getting my face all wet with your tears. Can't you smile for me please?"

I sob and rest my forehead against his, holding him tightly.

"Will...please don't do this to me. I can't take it."  
"Mags, this was going to happen, you know it was."  
"No, it wasn't supposed to end like this. I was supposed to keep you safe. I was supposed to get you out."

He strokes my hair as he says soothingly.

"I know that was your plan, but I had other plans. Everything has went according to my plan, although you have to promise to win...for me. Felix needs you."  
I sit up and wipe my tears away.  
"I...I can't go on without you..."  
He waves a hand in the air.

"Oh pooh, you have to win. How else is my first nephew going to be named after me?"

I smile and give him a reproaching look.  
"Who says Felix and I would name our first son after you?"

He gives me a grin.  
"I did. Come on please? Awesome people are named Will."

I nod.  
"True. I'll have to talk to Felix about it."

He gives me a mischievous smile.

"He already agreed when he said goodbye to me."  
I stare at him in shock.  
"You asked him at the justice building?"

He nods, very pleased with himself.  
"Yup, he promised that your first son you would name Will. No backing down now, you're supposed to listen to your husband you know."

I shake my head and kiss his forehead.  
"You are impossible."

He nods.  
"I'll take that as a compliment."

He shudders suddenly, and coughs, a little blood trickling out of his mouth. I wipe it away quickly and he sighs.

"Mags...can you tell me what mom looks like? So I know who she is."

This brings a fresh flood of tears, as I say haltingly.  
"She...she, she's wonderful. I look like her, blonde hair, green eyes, she was taller than me, and slim."

My voice grows steadier as I talk about mom.

"She's beautiful, has a kind voice, a mothers compassion and love. Trust me, you'll know when you see her."  
Will smiles.

"I can't wait to meet her. Hey Mags, do you think Leroy and dad will be alright without me?"

I nod slowly.

"Will you be fine?"

I shake my head.

"You'll be alright...you have our family to help you, and Felix."  
I kiss his forehead.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you buddy."  
He gasps and shivers.

"I'm cold..."

I bite my lip and look down at the puddle his blood has created on the ground.

"You know what you're going to do without me?"

He blinks several times, trying to focus his eyes.  
"You are going to get married to Felix, have twenty kids, and teach them all how to swim like fish."

I laugh and kiss his forehead again.  
"Will I?"

He nods.

"Yes, and you'll tell them all about their awesome uncle Will, and how I'll be watching them all grow up."

He suddenly realizes something and giggles.  
"Hey, I wonder if I'll get to stay a kid forever. That would be cool."

I smile.

"I don't know. Maybe."

He's gone terribly pale, and I can tell he's struggling to stay conscious.

"Mags, there's something I want to know before...well."

I hold his ice-cold hand tightly, trying to warm it between my own.

"Yes?"

He frowns.  
"What did you get on the reef the day before the reaping? You never showed me, and you said you had something special for me."

I laugh.

"I never showed you?"

He shakes his head.

"Well, I found a bunch of oysters, and I was going to have you help me search for pearls."  
He grins.  
"Oh, too bad, I love doing that. What was the surprise?'

I think for a minute, trying to recall what I found on the reef.  
"I remember now!"

I lean down close and smile.  
"It was a pirate coin! Really old, I think they were called Spanish doubloons."

His eyes grow wide.  
"Really?"

I nod.  
"Really."

He smiles.  
"Would you let me keep that before the funeral? It would be pretty cool to have it with me, almost like I was a pirate!"

I nod slowly, seeing the struggle on his face.

"Will, you should lie still now, don't move too much. I'm sure Dash will send something soon..."  
He brushes his hand against my cheek and gives me a smile as he says weakly.  
"Mags, I love you."

He pulls my head closer to his and kisses my cheek.

"I'm just going to sleep...we'll see each other again."

I keep my forehead pressed against his as he lowers his hand and takes a deep breath. Then he says with a grin.

"I'll see you around kid."

My whole body jerks reactively as the cannon echoes around the silent forest.

"N-n-no! NO!"

My arms are trembling violently as I hold onto Will. The tears streaming down my face.

"You're going to be fine...Dash is going to keep you safe...you can't leave me!"

I bury my face against his small chest and sob. Pain and denial flooding out all other emotions. I'm so confused...

"Will, you're fine, it's okay, you're going to be fine..."

His eyes are closed, and his body is limp, his hands are so cold...

"NO!"

The scream rips from my throat, echoing the pain deep in my chest.

"Please come back! Please!"

I'm verging on hysteria, I feel panic shaking my body. I'm going crazy...am I? Yes I am definitely going crazy. My little brother just died in my arms! There's no way I'm not going crazy.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry Will. Please, I'm sorry for everything...for anything I ever did to hurt you."

I hold him to me tightly, not able to let go, I can't let him go. The hovercraft will have to just take me with him. I brush his dark curls out of his face, and kiss his forehead. He does look like he's sleeping, is he just sleeping? No, his body is so cold...his blood is all on the ground, it's all on me.

I hear something and lift my tear-stained face.

"Who's cannon was it?"

"I don't know, one of the careers hopefully."

"I can't believe they got away."  
"Where did we leave the Four's? Over this way?"

"They're probably gone by now."

It's the tributes from seven and ten. Suddenly I see Steel materialize out of the forest, halting at the edge of the clearing and staring at me. Tears are streaming down my cheeks as I cradle Will's limp form in my arms.

"He...he...I couldn't do anything..."

I stammer between sobs, and look down at Will's peaceful face. I hear the other tributes suddenly grow silent, and know they're watching me.

"How?...He was fine when we left you..."

Melinda is obviously confused as she tries to figure out what happened. Troy is standing with his head bowed, Patricia has tears on her cheeks as she looks at me. Steel is just observing silently, his face unreadable.

"What do you want?"

I gasp out. Melinda is about to say something, when Steel steps forward.

"Mags, you need to let him go."  
I hold onto Will tighter.

"No! I have to protect him...I need to look after him."

Steel shakes his head, saying in his slow quiet voice.

"He's gone, it's time for you to let go."

I shake my head.

"He's not! He's not gone!"

Steel draws a knife, and steps closer.

"Steel..."

He raises a hand to silence Melinda, and takes another step forward.  
"You need to let go."

"I can't!"

He grips his knife tighter. More tears leak from my eyes, and I look from Will to Steel, and say pleadingly.

"Please..."

He raises his knife, I meet his eyes and say quietly.

"Make it quick."

He gives me a small nod, and I close my eyes as he brings his knife down.

* * *

**Authors Note: *SOB***

**I'm a terrible person...I hate myself. I actually did cry while writing this just so you know :'( **

**Okay, so not a really long chapter, but I couldn't bring myself to write anymore! Sniffle, I'll try to get another chapter up soon, and that one will hopefully be longer. Sorry for the semi-cliffhanger, but you know...that's what I do! Keeps you all interested enough to keep reading ;)**

**So...I'll see you guys next time!**

**Leave a grief gift in the form of a review :(**


	20. Chapter 20

***sniff***

**I am horrible depressed because of the last chapter :'(**

**I am a terrible person! I hate myself! Grrrr! How could I have gotten so attached? And made Will such a lovable character? Ugh, I am a despicable human being...**

**But I don't want to keep you guys waiting any longer and dwelling on last chapter's contents so I am writing another chapter for you...**

**If you didn't notice, I'm a bit mad at myself for what I got myself into...but I shall press forward and finish this story nonetheless! After all, we still need to see what becomes of Mags, does she finally get revenge for Will's death? Will there be a showdown between her and Ruby? And do we learn more about certain tributes? Find out now! And review!**

**ON! to the chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: I'm alive?**

The world slowly, and painfully comes to me and I gradually become aware that I am not dead. Wait...what?

The last thing I remember is Steel's knife speeding towards my head. Will is dead, I should be dead. Why am I not?

I feel stiff, and a little sore, but that's understandable because of my face off with Ruby, what I don't understand is why I'm alive. Then a thought hits me. Where am I?

I'm still out of it enough to where I don't attempt to open my eyes, instead I struggle for a minute, and manage to roll over. Then I fall.

My eyes snap open and a scream escapes my lips as I stare down at the ground at least sixty feet below me. I feel something latch onto my ankles, and halt my progress. Since my fall has been stopped, I swing slightly and bump against a massive trunk. I'm in a tree?

"What, the, %#$$!"

The yell automatically exits my throat as I dig my fingernails into the bark, as if this will somehow prevent me from plunging to my death. I feel the grip around my ankles tighten, and a backwards tug.

"Quit wiggling around!"

I frown in confusion.

"Troy? What the %#$$?!"

He grunts as he tugs on my legs again.  
"Yeah, you said that already. Look just hold still until I get you up alright?"

After a few more painful tugs, I slide up into some sort of hollow, and gasp as I cling to the wood.

"What...was...that?! Where are we? Why am _I_ here?"

I scoot away from the hole, and slowly sit up, turning on Troy with a glare. He stretches his arms slightly, and grins.

"Woah, one question at a time. Take a minute and a deep breath, you almost just died you know."

I continue to glare at him suspiciously.

"Yeah, which brings up another question; why didn't you let me fall?"

He shrugs.  
"Why did we take you up here in the first place? Why didn't we let the careers finish you off? Why didn't Steel kill you?"

I stare at him expectantly.  
"Yeah, why?"

He yawns and leans against one side of the hollow.

"I'll let the others explain when they get back. Rest, eat something if you're hungry."

With that he sits down and closes his eyes. I just stare at him for a few minutes, a thousand thoughts running through my head. Is he asleep? I could just kill him right now, so why did he fall asleep? Does he know I wouldn't be able to kill him?

I leave off staring at him, and take in my surroundings. I am in the middle of a tree, that much I know. The hollow is huge, about the size of a fishing cabin back home. The hollow ends about fifteen feet above my head where the center of the tree remains whole. I'm sitting close to the only opening I can see, a hole in the side of the tree slightly taller than I am, and about five feet wide. curiosity begins to tug at me, and I wonder how this got here. A close examination of the wood around me and I see lots of tiny teeth and claw marks. This must have been a giant dray at one point. I wonder how many squirrels lived in here once.

I see that there are at least six packs piled to one side, four sleeping bags circle the edges, and some loose supplies are scattered around. Have the tributes from Ten and Seven been here the whole time? It's a wonderful position, no one can get at them, they can stay snugly out of the way of other tributes and any weather conditions. The gamemakers can't risk starting a fire unless they want the whole forest to burn, and something tells me that would be too boring and quick to be entertaining.

I scoot carefully to the hole, and look cautiously out and down. I feel dizzy and lean back inside the tree. We have to be up sixty feet or more, it's hard to tell. I glance at Troy, who is snoring peacefully.

How on earth did I get up here?

A coil of rope to one side gives me the answer of how, but leaves me hanging on the more important question; why? Troy said to wait until the others got back, so I guess there's nothing else to be done. Die now or die later, it doesn't really make a difference to me.

I sit on the far side of the hole, and pull my legs up and wrap my arms around them, resting my chin on my knees. I stare out the hole, not really seeing anything. I feel a horrible empty ache deep inside me, and I realize with horror that I am still covered in Will's blood. Seeing the dark stains, a scream builds in my throat. I bury my face in my knees and sob. It does little to relieve the pain, but there's nothing else I can do. I am broken, I don't care about anything anymore. I came into this arena with one goal; to protect my little brother. I failed.

I failed myself, I failed Will, I failed my father and Leroy, and I failed my job as an older sister. I let everyone down, and I'll never forgive myself...never.

Will is dead, and it's all my fault...no it's not _all_ my fault. It's Dash's fault too. He didn't send anything, he could have done something, but he didn't. He was stupid and saw his opportunity to bring me home. He didn't care about anyone but himself, and his own stupid feelings. Well too bad, I'm going to die anyway, and see how he likes that. Now you can go home and live with two more deaths on your head.

I hear Troy stir, walk over and ask me if I'm okay. I ignore him and continue to cry. I hear him let out a heavy sigh and return to his position by the entrance, leaving me to my grief.

Dash. I'll never forgive him, this is just as much his fault as it is mine. It's the capitol's fault, it's these stupid games. It's my fault. I cry until I fall asleep out of fatigue. Then the nightmares begin.

_"Mags" The voice is cheerful, and eerie. _

_"Mags, come out come out wherever you are." It's followed by a childish giggle and I suddenly appear in an empty house. I look around, seeing a strange mist hovering all around the floor._

_"Got you!"_

_I whirl around and gasp, slowly backing away._

_"No...Will..."_

_He's standing in an empty doorway, his dark curls flying everywhere and his blue eyes electric and bright. There's something wrong, he's not twelve, he's his three-year-old self. I close my eyes tightly, desperation growing in my voice._

_"You're not real...this isn't real."_

_There's a squeal of delight as Will comes streaking across the room and latches onto my leg._

_"Mags, mags, mags!"_

_He gurgles happily. Then suddenly he looks up at me and says._

_"Momma!"_

_I sob and pull him off me, backing away slowly._

_"No! Leave me alone!"_

_He giggles and claps his hands together excitedly._

_"Game!"_

_I shake my head and feel my back come in contact with wood, I slide down the wall and cling to my legs tightly._

_"No! No games!"_

_He tilts his head to one side, looking at me with his inquisitive face; lower lip stuck out, eyes wide and hands on his cheeks._

_"Why no game?"_

_I shake my head, trying to block out the memory._

_"Games are bad..."_

_"I'll play with you."  
I look up as I hear the strange voice, and I gasp in fear and shock as I see the young boy with the snake eyes and almost white blonde hair standing next to Will. It's Head Gamemaker Snow's son, Coriolanus Snow. Will grabs his hand and squeals._

_"Yay! Game!"_

_I stand up and move falteringly towards them._

_"Will...come here, take my hand."_

_Three year-old Will looks at me, and the light fades from his eyes as a tear slides down his cheek._

_"You won't play a game with me."_

_Snow and Will disappear through the doorway, and I run forward with a scream.  
"Will!"  
I stop short and stare with wide eyes as a figure looms out of the doorway's shadow. I back away slowly and sink to the floor mumbling._

_"Games are bad..."_

_A malicious laugh echoes around the room as a figure steps from the doorway and says coldly._

_"There are far worse games to play."_

_I shut my eyes tight, blotting out the image._

_"Go away!"_

_I feel a hand on my arm, and I slide away with a whimper as I peek through my fingers at the figure. _

_"You're not real."  
The figure is shrouded in shadow, only allowing me to guess who it is by the voice._

_"But I am real my dear Magarida, you know I am. It's only a matter of time until I catch up to you, we shall see each other sooner than you think."_

_A horrible laugh echoes around the empty house as I let out a long scream._

"Mags! Mags! Wake up!"

I feel someone shaking my arm, and I reel away quickly.

"Watch it! You don't want to go falling out again."

I blink rapidly, trying to focus the blury images.

"Stay back!"

I feel a calm hand on my shoulder, and a slow drawling voice says.

"Calm down, it was only a nightmare."

My eyes focus, and I see Steel crouching beside me, his hand on my shoulder. I look up and see Melinda and Patricia standing by Troy.

"What...?"

Melinda shrugs.

"Nightmare."  
She says simply, and starts to organize the supplies.

"What the &#$$ am I doing here?!"

Troy chuckles as he addresses Steel.  
"She likes to say that a lot."  
I glare at him.  
"No idiot, I like answers!"

Steel gives Troy a look, and then says.

"You want answers? Ask a question."  
"What am I doing here?"

Steel sits down and rearranges his knives.

"We brought you here."  
I look around suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Because we wanted to help you."

"Why?"

"My, my, aren't we articulate?"

I give him a glare and he shrugs.  
"Do you need a reason to help someone?"

"In here you do."  
He points one of his knives at me.  
"Did you have a reason for helping Lola?"

I'm stuck by this, and he nods with a small smile.

"That's what I thought. Next question."  
I think for a long minute.

"Why did you knock me out?"

He sighs.

"Simple, you weren't in your right mind and there was no other way to get you here."  
I rub the sore spot on my head.

"What happened...afterwards. I mean at the clearing..."

Patricia walks over and crouches by me, tears in her eyes as she hands me a canteen.

"We stayed with Will until the hovercraft took him home."

I swallow the lump in my throat as tears build in my eyes.  
"Thank you."  
She nods.

"We tried to help...we didn't know...if we had only come sooner."

The tears overflow and she sniffs. Steel places a hand on her arm and nods towards Melinda. Patricia wipes her eyes and goes over to help Melinda. Steel turns to me and asks slowly.  
"Any more questions?"

I shake my head.  
"Good. You hungry?"

I shake my head again. He nods slowly.

"Alright...we'll explain a little as we eat."

They gather around the center of the hollow and pull out some food, I decline their offers once again, and wait in silence as they begin to eat.

"We met in the first day of training."  
Melinda starts off explaining.  
"Steel and I were going in as a team regardless, but when we overheard Patricia and Troy discussing their hate for the careers, we had the idea to form a pack."

Troy takes over from here.  
"Right, Steel approached us the first lunch, and suggested that we band together. I was naturally suspicious, and had to hear an explanation first. Steel said that we all hate the careers, we were all capable enough, but if we banded together, we would have the chance to defeat them altogether. Everyone knows Districts one and two have the highest victor rate, and that's mostly because of the careers. Why not form our own band? And instead of concentrating on 'winning' the games, focus on taking down the careers so some other district has a chance."

Steel turns to me.

"Our district has yet to claim a victor. Mel and I were on our own from the start."

Everything is silent for a moment.

"I guess that makes sense..."

Patricia speaks up shyly.  
"We wanted you and Will to join, but we know you would never agree."  
I nod slowly. Forming an alliance was never on my to do list, it's too dangerous.

"We tried to help as many tributes as we could...but some just attacked us."

They explain a little more about what they've been doing while they were in the arena.

"We were trying to locate the careers, and were out scouting when we heard the commotion in the clearing. It was a prime opportunity, but you had already worn Ruby down, and Will wounded both her and Burk, so when it came down to a fight, they just ran off. We chased them for a while, but eventually it became pointless, that's when we returned..."

I take a deep breath and let it out in a pained sigh.

"Yeah..."

There's silence again.

"So you're going to take down the careers...then what? You realize there are only the careers, us, Milo and Lola left right? Oh no...where's Lola?"

Melinda holds up a hand.

"Keep it down will ya? She's trying to sleep."

She gestures over her shoulder, to where I see a peacefully sleeping Lola, curled up on a sleeping bag. Her cheeks are cleaned and have several bandages across the cuts.

"That's where they were this afternoon."  
Troy says softly. I glance out the entrance and see it's already almost dark. There's still light in the hollow and I frown in confusion. Steel holds up a small metal disk and flicks a switch on it, light instantly envelopes the metal and it looks like he's now holding pure light.

"There was a bag of them in one of the packs, we've got them stashed around the wall muted with bandages."

Melinda laughs quietly.

"I suppose they didn't think they'd be of much use in the arena."

Steel flicks the light off, and looks around with a grave face.

"They'll be playing the anthem soon."

As if on cue, the anthem begins to play and the dark sky lights up. We all turn to the entrance and watch as Will's is the only face to appear. The anthem ends, and the sky goes dark. There's silence for a few moments, then Steel drawls quietly.

"And then there were eleven."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hello!**

**So what do you guys think of the non career pack? I'll have to think of a cool name for them...**

**I'm actually not sure how everything is going down in the end...I know how a few of the characters are going to die, but we'll see what I come up with for them all.**

**Bwahahahahaha! *cough* Ahem...evil streak over :P**

**So some exciting stuff is going to be happening soon, we shall see a new surprise in the arena soon, and some sad occurences as well :( But never fear! It shall be exciting and I shall try to put some more humor in it. I see some of you guys liked the lines such as "News flash moron; THE WHOLE ARENA IS FILLED WITH BIG TREES!" and "My, my, aren't we articulate?"**

**So I shall attempt to add more humorous lines to the story :)**

**Also! I thought of a very interesting twist I could put in the story...but I haven't decided if I like it or not :P We'll see!**

**So! On to the chapter, and please leave a review! I looooove them :)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-one: How?**

I was surprised to find that the Rivals, (that's what the non career pack called themselves) didn't have a guard system set up. They didn't think it was necessary because there was no way the careers could get at them. This was true, the only way up was if someone up here tossed down the knotted rope to climb.

When I inquired on how they got up here in the first place, Patricia told me that she climbed up using knives and carrying the rope.

"You need four good knives, you stick two deep in the trunk, then standing on those you use the other two to stick a little higher and step up on those. Pull out the lower ones and proceed like that. We use that tactic sometimes back home when we can't get good climbing equipment."

When all the Rivals are up in the hollow, they pull up the rope and are safe and snug all night. I found this sense of security a little off-putting, it didn't seem right, to be able to feel safe in a place like this. Like somehow, if you start to feel safe, you'll be proven wrong.

Despite all this I slip into my sleeping bag and fall asleep a little after nightfall.

_"Felix?"_

_I hear my voice echoing strangely in the emptiness. There is nothing but my voice, and blackness. I don't know why I'm calling him._

_"Felix?"_

_My voice has a life of its own, calling out the name in an almost sing-song way. Slowly, ever so slowly, things start to materialize out of the darkness. Random patches of light appear, each one revealing something._

_A net._

_A small wooden chair._

_A coil of rope._

_Suddenly, soft tinkling music begins to play, the sound echoing all around me._

_"I know this tune..."_

_A light illuminates behind me, and I slowly turn around and look down. About ten feet in front of me, is a small music box with an image of two fish engraved into a revolving metal circle. I take a cautious step forward and reach out to touch it. Suddenly everything goes dark, and I hear the same evil laugh from my nightmare earlier._

_"Pretty isn't it? I knew you'd remember the tune."_

_I spin around, searching the darkness for any sign of the spectral voice._

_"Oh that won't help you. Do you want to know why?"_

_"Stay away from me!"_

_A low chuckle sends a cold shiver down my spine._

_"It's always dark whenever I'm around because you can't quite remember. Your mind can't recall the images...but you can still hear my voice."  
I cover my ears with my hands and close my eyes tightly._

_"You're not real...you're not real!"_

_"Oh but I am, listen to my voice, do you remember now?"_

_"Mags!"_

_I spin around, my eyes straining to make sense of the darkness._

_"Will?"_

_"Mags I'm over here!"_

_I spin around again, still seeing nothing._

_"Will!"_

_"Mags please help me!"  
I sob and look around desperately. The evil laugh echoes again._

_"She can't help you! She's helpless."  
The voice laughs at its own joke, and for a brief instant I can see Will, standing with a terrified expression on his face. He looks at me pleadingly.  
"Please help!"  
He gasps as a blade appears out of nowhere and runs him through. _

_"NO!"  
I scream just as he falls to the ground._

The dream vanishes, and I wake up with a gasp, sitting bolt upright and gasping, I'm covered in a cold sweat and my body is trembling. I cover my eyes with my hands, and take deep breaths.

"It was just a dream, it was just a dream."  
I murmur. After a minute or two, I sigh and lean back against the wall, dropping my hands into my lap and staring at the knife by my side.

"But Will is dead, and that's not a dream."

I look around at the others, lying peacefully in sleep. Lola is curled up on her side clutching her blanket in her hands. Troy is sprawled on his back, snoring. Patricia and Melinda are both lying prone in their sleeping bags. Steel is on his stomach, his head resting on his crossed arms, one of his hands is loosely holding a long dagger. I remember the deadly accuracy which he can throw knives with.

I push the folded sleeping bag off my legs, and quietly get on my feet. I carefully make my way around the sleeping Rivals, and walk to the entrance. I stare down the dizzying hight for a moment, the ground hard to see in the dark. I glance back at the others, and then back out the hole. I sigh, and sit on the edge, my legs dangling out the hole.

Will is dead...it's my fault. And Dash's, and the Capitol's, and Ruby's. But I was supposed to look after him.

I lean forward slowly, looking down the thick trunk.

It's my fault...

"He would never forgive you."

I start at the low voice, and twist around to see Steel standing behind me, the knife still held loosely in his hand. His black hair is slightly tousled, but his one brown eye is bright and alert. We stare at each other for a few seconds before I ask in a whisper.

"What?"

He barely shifts his knife to point towards the entrance, and replies in the same low voice.

"He wouldn't forgive you...for jumping."  
I give him an angry look and reply in a sharp whisper.  
"I wasn't thinking about jumping!"

He shrugs, and slowly sits down next to me. He uses the knife tip to trace patterns in the wood, I just stare out into the forest.

"You were weren't you?"

I glance at him from the corner of my eye.

"What if I was? Wouldn't that just be one less tribute you'd have to worry about?"

He doesn't reply, but instead just turns his gaze on me. For the first time, I don't find his dead eye unnerving. Maybe it's because his good eye is soft and gentle for once.

"He would want you to win."

I keep his gaze and reply slowly.

"Well I think we all want to win...except for me."  
He slowly shakes his head.

"Not me."  
I look at him surprised.

"Why not?"

His eyes slowly slide over to the others, and I see them land on Melinda.

"Mel's been my best friend our whole lives...she has a family to go home to."  
I glance at Melinda.

"You don't?"

He shrugs.

"Orphan, been living on my own for...well a long time."

I nod silently.

"Melinda has family you said?"

Steel nods.

"She's got three younger sisters, and her mother is expecting anytime. Her dad works two jobs, and Mel works where she can, mostly helping around the house. If she won...they wouldn't have to worry about money ever again."

"So that's why you want her to win."  
He nods. There's silence again.

"Do you know anything about Troy and Patricia?"

He nods slowly, glancing back at them.

"A little. Troy has a little sister, and both parents. As far as I've heard they do alright. Although Troy works to help out. Patricia, well she's a little bit of a mystery. She never really talks about herself, but from what she has said, I'm pretty sure she's an only child. Just her and her dad."

He falls silent.

"I wonder why no one ever seems to have a complete family nowadays."

He stabs the knife blade savagely into the wood as he replies through gritted teeth.

"It's because of the way we're forced to live."

I quickly put a hand on his arm and gain his attention. I shake my head very slowly and give him a warning look. He pulls the knife out and lets out a sigh.

"It's just the way things are I guess."  
Suddenly there's a rumble, and the sky lights up for a split second. Steel and I exchange glances, then stand up and take a step back from the entrance. There's another rumble, followed by a loud crack and a bright flash of light.

"Thunderstorm?"

Steel nods.

"Not a natural one though."  
He turns around and shakes Troy.

"Hey wake up, the gamemakers are doing something."  
Troy sits up and grabs his spear, blinking the sleep from his eyes as he stands up. Steel moves on to the others, and soon they're standing rubbing sleep from their eyes and yawning.

"What's going on?"

Melinda, the most alert, asks Steel. He looks grimly outside and says.

"I don't know. Better get your weapons just in case."  
She nods. Lola is looking around scared. I walk over and put my arm around her.  
"It's going to be okay."  
She suddenly gives me a tight hug, and starts to cry.

"Mags I'm sorry...if I hadn't been caught by the careers then you wouldn't have saved me and...and Will would still be alive."  
In all my bitter and guilty thoughts, I had never thought to blame her. She's right, if we hadn't saved her, Will would probably still be alive.  
"Lola, look at me."  
She slowly pulls away and meets my eyes with her tear-stained ones. I wipe off her tears as I say slowly.  
"If we hadn't tried to save you, Will would have never forgiven himself. So don't you dare blame yourself alright?"

She is about to say something but I cut her off.

"Hey, he wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

She shakes her head.

"He wouldn't want you to either."

"Mags, come take a look."  
I turn my head towards Steel's call, and see he's motioning for me to join him at the entrance. I give Lola a reassuring squeeze, and walk over to Steel.

"What is it?"

His eyes scan the forest.

"Check it out."  
I look out and see that dark clouds are rapidly forming in the distance.

"What's going on?"

He shrugs.

"Looks like the gamemakers want a little fun."

Suddenly a loud clap of thunder splits above our heads, causing us all to jump. As the sound is rumbling away, we all stand perfectly still as we hear a rushing roaring sound.

"What..."  
Patricia starts, but Steel just points outside and says slowly.  
"There's no way that is natural."  
We all look, and see a thick curtain of rain speeding towards us, it's coming straight down in sheets, and is spreading all around the arena. we brace ourselves as it reaches our tree, but to our surprise, it appears to be just ordinary rain. It's coming down in buckets, but it doesn't appear to have any harmful qualities.

"Well that's weird."  
Troy just says with a grunt, shifting his spear to his other hand. Patricia shrugs.

"Maybe the forest needed to be watered?"

Steel shakes his head.

"It's here for a reason."

We watch it for around ten minutes, but it just maintains its heavy downpour. The others soon grow bored, and retire to the middle of the hollow again, Steel and I remain at the entrance, watching the rain suspiciously. We're the most unwilling to just shake this off as a hydration shower. We are both just suspicious enough to suspect some darker reason for the rain.

It soon grows light, and the Rivals set about preparing breakfast. Lola brings Steel and I some food, and we eat silently. Still sitting by the entrance and keeping an eye on the rain.

"You know, staring at it isn't going to make a difference."  
Patricia calls to us. Steel doesn't reply, but I turn and say.

"Just keeping an eye out, that's all."  
Troy shifts slightly and mutters.

"It's almost like you want something bad to happen."

This brings Steel's attention, he slowly turns his head and replies in a low voice.  
"No, we are just ready. Because in here, something bad is going to happen."

This silences everyone, and we continue to do our own things.

It's hard to tell what time it is, judging from the sun is almost impossible because of the clouds, but if I were to make a guess it would be around ten o'clock. Steel is idly sharpening his knives, when all of a sudden my sensitive ears pick up something.

"Everyone quiet!"

I hiss sharply. Everyone suddenly stands still, and I listen hard.

"What is-"  
"Shhhh!"  
Steel silences Melinda's question, and for a moment the only sound to be heard is the rain. I know I heard something...I can still hear it. It's like a tinkling sound, almost like glass wind chimes.

"It's...I don't know what it is. It sound almost like...glass windchimes."  
Steel is listening with his head tilted to one side.

"I hear it."  
We all gather around the entrance, and stare out at the rain. I narrow my eyes and squint farther out in the woods, and frown.  
"Steel?"  
He nods.  
"I see it."

Something is happening to the rain, it looks different farther out, and steadily growing closer. We watch the change come closer and closer, the whole time the tinkling growing louder.

Suddenly I feel a chill, breeze through the entrance, and I shiver. Then, cold washes over the arena. Like when you open an oven and a heat wave gusts in your face, only this is freezing.

"What the..."  
For the briefest of moments, the rain is suspended, and it looks like time has stopped. Then the raindrops resume their fall. I hold out my hand, and catch several in my palm. I pull my hand in and stare at the raindrops.

They're frozen, perfect little ice teardrops. The cold swept over the arena so fast, that the rain was frozen in mid-air, preserving the perfect shapes.

"Weird."  
Troy mutters. Lola catches a few and looks at them closely.

"They're beautiful."  
Steel is looking out at the arena and I can tell he's thinking.  
"What do you think they're doing?"

Steel shrugs.

"The rain's had time to thoroughly soak everything, now I can guess most, if not all of the arena is frozen."

Troy walks to the entrance and touches the bark of the tree.

"Uh oh."  
I look from him to Steel.

"Uh oh? What does that mean?"

Patricia looks grimly at the frozen arena.

"Well you know what happens when wood freezes."  
I shake my head, feeling irritable because of anxiety.  
"No, I don't. I live in District Four remember? It doesn't get cold there."  
Troy answers for her.  
"When wood freezes, it becomes fragile, like glass. If it starts to snow we're in real trouble."  
I glance out the entrance as the first few snowflakes begin to fall.  
"Why?"

He begins gathering supplies as he says.

"Because, when the snow builds up on the branches, they're going to break."  
Patricia cuts in.  
"With the size of these trees, I would say if one half dead tree falls, it could cause an earthquake, or worse a domino effect on the other trees."

I feel fear beginning to build as I look frantically at the falling snow, growing steadily heavier.

"What do we do?"

Steel flips his knife in the air, grabbing it by its hilt he slips it into its sheath.  
"We move fast, and hope we can outrun the snow."

Melinda is staring at the snow.

"Where do we go? The whole arena is filled with trees."

Troy shakes his head.

"Pat, tell them what you saw."  
Patricia says quickly.

"When I was climbing this tree, after I found the hollow I kept going. From the top you can see for an unbelievably long distance. The forest stops after a while in that direction."  
She points to the opposite wall of the tree.  
"It ends in a sort of meadow, there's a lake and a small island."

Steel gives me a knowing look before he says.

"Well, it looks like that's where the gamemakers want us to go."  
Lola, who hasn't said a word this entire time, suddenly says in a terrified voice.

"What if that's where the gamemakers want all of us."

Melinda finishes her thought.

"They want us to run into the careers."


	22. Chapter 22

**Hello!**

**Sorry for not updating in a while, but I've been kind of busy with homework :P**

**I know I promised to update yesterday but I was only able to get half of the chapter done :P But I finished it before class and am now updating so please don't be mad! **

**I hope you guys are liking how the story is going, and soon we are going to see lots of action! And suspense! And overall excitement!**

**Please tell me what you think in a review or PM! They are much appreciated!**

**So on with the story!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-two: Run, run little one.**

The Rivals are quiet as we pack up all our gear as quickly as we can, putting things like medical supplies and weapons close to hand. Working fast, we soon are ready to go. Steel, the unofficial leader of the group, gives us instructions.

"Troy, you and Mags go down first, watch the forest while the rest of us lower the supplies to you. Melinda, you and Lola will be going next, I'll go once you both are down, and Patricia will go last, climbing down with her knives and carrying the rope."

We all nod, and Troy grips the rope, sliding off the edge, he begins the long decent down. As soon as he reaches the bottom, I step closer to the edge, pausing as I feel a hand on my arm. I turn to see Steel looking at me intently.

"Don't lose your grip."  
He says quietly, and I think he means it in more ways than one. We stare at each other for a minute, and then I give him a small nod, letting him know I understand. He gives my arm a small squeeze and motions to the rope.

"Down you go then."

I walk over and pick up the rope, staring down the long drop to the bottom. I can do this...I'll be fine, it probably looks farther than it is. I take a deep breath, and slide out and let my feet grip above a knot in the rope. I swing there for a minute, trying to figure out the best way to go about this. I eventually slide my feet down the rope until they catch on the next knot, then I move my hands one at a time to the next knot. It's slow going, and the cold makes it even harder. I have to keep blowing on my hands to keep them from getting too stiff.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally feel Troy supporting my legs, and I drop the rest of the way. He steadies me as I sway slightly.

"Thanks."  
He smiles.

"No problem."

He waves up to the others, and the rope begins to shorten as it is drawn up into the hollow. Troy picks up his spear, and turns towards the forest. I detach the lance from my back and survey the landscape.

I must say the ice and snow has made the forest look completely different. I feel like I'm in a dream. The trees are covered in a layer of ice, making it look like they're made of glass. Long icicles hang from the branches, and snow is beginning to gather on the tops of them. The snow has already created an inch thin layer along the forest floor, and flakes continue to fall as Troy and I stand guard. Everything is white, and pure looking, it looks so unreal.

A breeze blows gently through the forest, causing the icy branches to tinkle musically as they clink against each other. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Troy flinch.

"What is it?"

My voice carries strangely in the snow, sounding clear and distinct, but muted by the snow. Troy shifts slightly, his eyes on the trees.

"It's the wind..."

I shiver slightly as another breeze blows snow in my face.

"What about the wind?"

He shakes his head slowly.  
"Bad news for us if it keeps up or gets any stronger."  
I look up at the trees, and shudder as I think of one of the massive branches suddenly snapping off and crashing down on us. The first pack is lowered to us, and after untying it and setting it at the base of the tree, the rope is quickly hauled up for the next one. It takes about ten minutes to get all six packs down, the whole time of which Troy and I spent nervously watching the trees and keeping a watchful eye on the wind. It hasn't gotten any harder, but continues to maintain a gentle breeze, every time the branches tinkle musically, I am wary of a branch hurtling down on us.

"Here comes Melinda."  
Troy says as he nods towards the rope. I look up and see Melinda quickly descending on the rope. She jumps the last three feet and lands between us. She smiles and looks around briefly.

"No trouble I see."  
Troy shakes his head.

"It's all quiet. I just hope we get out of here before the wind picks up."  
Melinda nods and pulls her bow off her shoulder.

"Well Mags, why don't you keep an eye on Lola? Make sure she doesn't fall."  
I nod and turn my gaze up once again. Lola is having no trouble with the rope, and since she's so small and light, she reaches the ground much quicker than Melinda or I. She gives me a smile and looks around the forest.

"It's so pretty."  
I nod and manage to give her a small smile back.

"Yes it is, and if we're lucky we'll get out before it turns dangerous."

She nods and picks up the smallest pack, my heart sinks as I realize whose it was. She sees my stricken face and drops my gaze.

"He...he gave it to me and told me to wait at the camp..."  
I nod slowly, unable to say anything. I stare into space and try to fight the agonizing pain in my chest.

"Mags?"

I suddenly find Steel standing in front of me, his pack slung over one shoulder and several knives easily accessible. I snap out of my daze...or whatever it was and look at him.

"What?"

He holds up my pack.

"Let's go."  
I take my pack and slide it onto my back, Steel waits for me to meet his gaze and raises his eyebrows questioningly. I nod slightly and he breaks eye contact.

"Alright Rivals, we move quickly and quietly, stick together and try not to make too much noise. Troy and Patricia?"

He waits for their acknowledgment before continuing.

"You two lead the way, take us the safest way and let us know if there's anything we should be wary of."

Patricia is looking around at the trees with a seasoned eye, so Troy takes Steel's place and says calmly.

"Alright, Steel is right about being quiet, sometimes sound can set something off, avoid touching any of the trees and move quickly, the better we get out of the trees the better."

Steel nods.

"Ready to go?"

We all nod.

"Alright let's go, Patricia and Troy, lead the way."  
Troy and Patricia take the lead and we all file silently after them, trying to make as little noise as possible and avoiding as many roots as possible. We try to move at a brisk pace, but the ground under the snow is covered in ice, making walking almost impossible above the pace of a slow walk. We are having to pick our way by inches, feeling out each step before leaning our weight on it, knowing that a fall could cause a disastrous tremor.

We've been walking for an hour, and we probably haven't made it two miles yet. It's growing steadily colder, and the snow falling is growing thicker. Troy and Patricia are still leading the way, Melinda is following directly behind them, Lola is in between her and me, and Steel is walking in the rear. Lola's small back is shivering in front of me, and she has her arms wrapped around her in an effort to keep warm. After a moment of brief struggling, I manage to pull my jacket off without taking off my pack, I tap Lola's back and when she turns I hand her my jacket.

"Oh no Mags, I'm fine."  
I give her a small smile.  
"No you're not. Go on, I promised I'd look after you."  
She looks at me sadly, and I shrug.

"I'm not going to put it back on if you don't take it."

She sighs and takes it relenting.  
"Thank you."  
I smile.

"No problem."  
She pulls it on, and almost instantly stops shivering. I remember that the bottom half of my shirt is gone, and if it wasn't for my thick bandages, my stomach would be frozen. Even though my shirt is short-sleeved, I'm not too cold because my arms are also bandaged to a little past my elbows. I marvel at the bandages once again, waterproof, breathable, and they retain heat. I guess it's a good thing I was wounded.

"Hold up for a minute."

We all stop at Patricia's command, and stand shivering in the chill wind. Troy is looking around with squinted eyes, and he has that look on his face like he knows something no one else does. After a minute, he motions to Patricia and they hold a brief whispered conference. Finally Troy turns to us and says grimly.

"We're in big trouble if we don't get out of here soon."

Steel walks forward.

"What's up?"

Patricia points up.

"The wind is picking up, and the temperature is dropping even lower. The snow is piling thicker on the branches, adding to the strain."  
Steel nods.

"Alright, it's time we were running."

This is much easier said than done, the ice-covered ground seems unwilling to release us from the clutches of the forest. We slide and slip as we try to gain good footing on the slick ground, moving as fast as we can through the woods.

I take a wrong step, and hit the ground face first. I vaguely hear a crack, and feel something warm run onto my chin. Steel helps me to my feet and turns my face towards him.

"Split your lip open."

I reach up and gingerly touch my swollen lip, my hand coming away bloody. Melinda digs in her pack for a minute, pulling out a wad of cotton and handing it to me. I thank her and hold it to my lip, I glance down and see my blood has melted a small hole in the snow, and stained it red. I look away quickly, I've seen enough of blood, but I know I will see more before this is all over.

"You okay to go?"

Steel is being very considerate, and I nod quickly, not wanting to hold us up any longer. However, the first step I take almost sends me to the ground again, and in Steel's effort to steady me, he slips and falls on his side. I slide a little, swing my arms and manage to regain my balance.

"Are you alright?"

Lola asks anxiously, Steel scrambles to his feet and nods.

"Yeah I'm fine. Is it just me or is the ground getting slicker?"

Troy looks around with a mixture of anger and hopelessness.

"Looks like the gamemakers don't want us out of the forest after all."

Patricia shakes her head.

"I don't understand, don't they want us to run into the careers?"

Melinda shrugs.

"The careers might be safe where they're at, the gamemakers want to keep us where we are in the most danger. Possibly running into careers in the meadow isn't good enough for them."

Lola is looking more and more scared every minute.

"Then what do we do? If we can barely stand in the forest how are we supposed to get out quickly?"

Silence meets her question. Everyone thinking the same thing. The gamemakers need a death, the games are getting too boring. The silence is suddenly broken by a clicking sound, we all lift our head and watch a silver parachute float down through the trees.

"What is that?"

I grin as I answer Troy's question.

"It's a sponsor gift."

Steel looks at it suspiciously.

"A sponsor gift? We didn't ask for anything..."  
The parachute lands at our feet, and for a moment everyone just stares at it.

"Who's it for?"

Lola asks curiously, Melinda picks it up and examines the metal surface.

"It's Mags."  
She says handing it to me, I frown as I see the black number four on the lid.

"For me?"

I look up at the sky, wondering what Dash is thinking. Then anger floods through me and hatred fills my eyes. He sends something now, when I didn't ask for it, but he didn't send anything when Will was dying and I was begging him.

"You &#$!#&%."

I grit out under my breath, then I hand the parachute to Lola.

"Here, I don't want anything from him."

Patricia and Troy are looking at me strangely, and Lola is staring at the package mystified. Steel is watching me with a quiet understanding.

"Let's see whats inside Lola."  
He says gently. She twists off the top and pulls out a bottle filled with a strange black goo and equipped on one end with a nozzle.

"What is it?"

Steel takes it from her and examines it carefully.

"Is there anything else in the bottle?"

Lola searches briefly before pulling out a small slip of paper. She glances at it and then hands it to me. After a moment's hesitation, I take it and examine it. Well, it has my name on it. I unfold the paper and quickly read the small note.

**Mags, I'm trying to help Will. Take the #$*% bottle.**

I stare at the note for a minute. How could he possibly know I was going to reject the gift? It doesn't matter, he can just go jump in a lake for all I care.

**I'm trying to help Will.**

The words seem to have burned onto my eyes. Help Will? With what? If he really wanted to help he would have saved him. Trying to help Will...what did Will ask him?

_"I had other plans, everything is going according to my plan."_

That was Will said before he died.

_"Mags, promise me you'll win?"_

Dash is trying to help Will by keeping me alive? Great, now I'm in a quandary. I want to die to spite Dash and be with Will, but Will made me promise that I would try to win.

"Mags?"

I look up and see Steel holding out the bottle.

"Any idea what it is?"

I glance at the note one last time, and notice some small writing towards the bottom.

**no slip stick.**

I take the bottle from Steel, and think for a long moment. What do I need right now? What could help me? No slip stick.

"I've got it!"

I exclaim happily, then clamp a hand over my mouth as my cry echoes through the woods. There's a moment of tense silence, before I lower my hand and continue in a lower voice.

"What do we need most right now?"

"To get out of the forest?"

Patricia offers, I shrug.

"Well, yes and no, we do need to get out of the forest, but more importantly, we need a _way _to get out of the forest."

I hold up the bottle.

"This is our way."  
Troy looks at it skeptically.

"The magic black goo will get us out of the forest?"

I nod.

"How?"

I carefully sit in the snow and pull my left boot off.

"Well, if my theory is correct..."  
I take the bottle and carefully squeeze a small drop on the sole of my boot, repeating the process all around the edge until a ring of small black dots lines the sole of my boot. I pull it back on and stand up.

"Observe."

I try to take a step with my right foot, immediately slipping and almost falling. Then I take my left foot, and leaning all my weight on it, I jump. Landing perfectly stable. Steel grins.  
"The magic black goo is super traction."

I nod.

"Exactly. No slip stick."

I quickly apply the goo to my other boot, and am now able to run around on the ice if I want. I help Lola apply it to her shoes, then I hand it to Melinda. She looks at it and holds it uncertainly.

"Are...are you sure we can use it?"

I shrug.

"Yeah. Why not?"

She glances at the note and metal container.  
"Well...it was for you."

I shake my head.

"Nonsense, Dash knew I would give it to you anyway. If he intended it for just me, why did he send so much? As far as I can tell it's permanent."

She shrugs and gives in. Soon it's applied to all of the Rivals boots, and we are all steady on our feet again. Troy grins.

"We'll be at that meadow in no time."

Suddenly a loud ear-splitting snap echoes through the woods, and after a brief roar, a gigantic crash shakes the ground. The sound is just dyeing away when another snap splits the muffled silence and this time we can see the humongous branch falling amidst an avalanche of snow.

"Run!"  
We all snap into action at Steel's roar, and start off at a dead run in the direction of the meadow. We all know that the gamemakers are ticked off that we found a way to evade their little ice plan, and now mean business. They're sending the forest down on us.

Melinda and Troy are fast, and they manage to keep the lead, which is good because Patricia is the only one who knows the location of the meadow. Steel is fast, and I can tell he's holding back so as not to overtake them. Lola is running beside me, managing to keep up fairly well.

The ground shakes and I almost lose my balance as a branch the size of a full-grown oak crashes behind us.

"Come on!"

Troy's shout is almost drowned out by another crash, Patricia calls over her shoulder.

"Not too far now!"

Suddenly a sound like a house being ripped in half sounds above us, and I'm knocked off my feet as a tree comes crashing down and one of the long branches hits my back. I'm lying face first in the snow, breathing hard as I try to squirm out from underneath the branch.

"Mags hold still."  
I lie still and feel Steel's hands grip my arms, with a sharp tug he pulls me to the side and out from underneath the branch. I scramble to my feet and look around quickly. My face turns pale and I look at Steel.

"Where's Lola?"

I spin around and look at the massive tree that fell and almost crushed us all. I feel sick to my stomach.

"Oh &%$..."

I pull free from Steel's grip and run to the tree.

"Lola!"

I search the foliage frantically as Steel tries to call me back.

"Lola!"

I freeze as I see her small form underneath a bramble of branches, there's blood on her face and she's lying very still. I scramble over and around the tree branches and reach her small form. She's trapped in a mess of branches and if I stick my arm between some twigs I can just barely brush my fingertips against her shoulder.

"Oh please no..."

Suddenly she moans and tries to move. I feel relief fill me as I turn back to the others.

"She's alive! But she's trapped."

Steel and the others clamber through the branches and quickly asses the situation.

"Alright, we can get her out if we take away some of these branches, but we have to be quick, there's no knowing what the gamemakers will do next.


	23. Chapter 23

**Heyo!**

**So I know it's been a little while since I updated and I apologize for that, just been busy reading...**

**Read through the last half of book one of the "Fablehaven" series, AND the entire second book, "Fablehaven; Rise of the evening star" yesterday. Awesome series, if you haven't read those yet, and you enjoy fantasy fiction I suggest you check them out! The author is amazing! He uses long vocabulary words, *sigh* AND he referenced "To kill a mockingbird" My hero :)**

**So! Anyway, I had a good reason, being sucked into "Fablehaven" and fighting off evil witches!**

**...so, on to the story!**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-three: Confrontation.**

Patricia and Troy quickly take control, since they are the experts on trees. They tell us to back off and be ready to clear any branches they cut loose. Lola is still unconscious, and she hasn't made any movement since I first found her. Luckily Patricia's weapon of choice is two throwing axes, wielding these, Her and Troy get to work carefully removing the branches trapping Lola.

I stand anxiously beside Melinda, my hands shaking from stress and worry. I feel sick to my stomach and horrible images of Lola dying some horrible death begin to flash across my mind. I see alternating death scenes between her and Will, both of them being killed in brutal ways, over and over and over.

I feel a hand take my shaking one and hold it tightly.

"She's going to be fine."  
Melinda gives me a reassuring smile, and squeezes my hand. I nod tightly and look back towards Troy and Patricia. Steel is standing close by, pulling the hacked off branches out of the way.

They're all going to die. Terrible deaths of course, nothing short of horrific. Blood, broken bones, slit throats, crushed bodies, hacked limbs. Sooner or later, every one of them is going to end up that way. Well, not all of them, one will make it out alive...is that true though? After all the things we've seen, the hell we've been through, I could guess that the moment your reaped, victor or no, we all die in the arena.

I am going to die, one way or another. Maybe the arena is more about killing who you are, forcing you to change, to be what the capitol wants you to be, victors suffer the death of who they used to be.

"Mags!"

My head snaps up, and my mind instantly focuses on reality. Troy is motioning me over, I hurry to his side.

"What?"

He hands me his and Patricia's axes.

"Hold these."  
Patricia and Steel are holding some branches back to widen the space they've created. Troy drops to his knees beside the opening and carefully reaches into the space. I hear him murmur soothingly.  
"Shh, shhh, It's okay, I'm going to get you out."

He slowly, carefully lifts Lola out of the bramble, her head is resting against his shoulder, and her body hangs limply in his arms. One of her arms is twisted a sickening way and the bent part is purple and swollen.

"Is she..."  
Troy shakes his head.  
"She's alive, just unconscious. Pat, run and get the medical supplies. Steel, you and Melinda watch for trouble. Mags, help me get her settled."

He walks over to the base of a tree, and I quickly spread a sleeping bag out. He gently lowers Lola onto the sleeping bag and quickly looks her over.

"Her arm is broken."

My heart sinks. Broken limbs in the arena is like a death sentence.

"Oh no..."

Troy very carefully lifts her broken arm to feel where the break is. Lola lets out a small moan and feebly moves her unbroken arm. I brush the hair from her face and talk quietly.  
"Shh, hold still honey."

She seems to calm down a bit and lies still. Troy lets her arm rest on the sleeping bag.

"Don't worry, the break isn't too bad, we should be able to set it."

I look at the swollen, bruised arm twisted the wrong way, and start to feel nauseous.

"Do you know how?"

"I was hoping you would. Your old man's a doctor right?"

I nod.

"I know a few basic things, but I've never set a bone before. Dad works at the hospital when there aren't any ships that need him"

Troy sighs.  
"Well who does know how to set a bone?"

"I do."  
I whirl my head around and see Milo standing between Steel and Melinda, weapons raised threateningly.

"Milo!"

Everyone turns to look at me. I jump to my feet and run over to Milo.  
"Don't worry, he's a friend. He helped Will and I."

Milo nods with a small disarming smile.  
"If I wanted you lot dead I wouldn't have walked out in the open."  
Steel, with a flick of his hand flips his knives hilt towards Milo and slips them into his belt. Melinda slowly lowers her bow and slackens the string. Steel crosses his arms and looks over the much smaller boy.

Milo's slight frame and lack of hight make him appear younger than he is, he seems more gaunt than before the games, if that's possible, and one of the lense of his glasses is cracked.

Steel is taller than I am by a good six inches, he's slim, but has muscle definition, his lithe frame towering over Milo. I suddenly realize I don't know how old Steel is. If I had to guess I would say my age.

"You said you know how to set a bone?"

Steel drawls in a dangerously low voice. Milo adjusts his glasses nervously, but holds his ground.  
"That is correct. I was training to be a doctor before being reaped."

Steel just stares at him. Milo shrugs.  
"Ask Mags if you don't believe me. We had a brief alliance before my District partner was killed. I saved her life."

Steel slowly slides his eyes onto me. I nod, confirming Milo's words.

"He did, I had internal injuries from a fall, then I got cut up pretty bad from rocks, Milo fixed me up both times."

Steel briefly scans my bandaged torso and turns back to Milo.

"Why would you help?"

Milo shrugs.  
"Same reason as you I suppose. Anyone but the careers right?"

There's a long moment as everyone watches Steel carefully, waiting to see what his decision will be. Finally he nods to Melinda and says.  
"Alright, you'd better hurry and get her fixed. We don't know how long we have before the gamemakers decide to send some new horror at us."

Melinda walks up to Milo and hands him the pack of medical supplies. I'm surprised to see that Melinda is slightly smaller than Milo. I can't believe she's sixteen.

"Here you go."

Milo gives her a smile and carries the pack over to Lola. I follow him and crouch on the opposite side as Milo. He carefully examines the break, and then begins to rummage through the medical supplies. The others all hold their weapons ready, and slowly walk around the area. There is a sudden silence in the air, and Milo works quietly as he starts pulling out certain items.

"Where did you go after we split up?"

I ask in a low voice. He continues with his work as he replies.  
"To the meadow where you were heading. It's not very far from here."  
"How did you find us?"

He shrugs.  
"I came to investigate what the commotion was."

He looks up suddenly.  
"Could you hold her still please? I need to set the bone, and unconscious or not, it's going to be painful. Not only is her ulna and radius broken, but her elbow is dislocated as well. She must have had quite a fall."

I move to steady her as I say.

"A tree fell on her."

He raises his eyebrows.

"Well in that case she's a very lucky girl. Hold her steady now."

I hold her hand tightly, and lean my weight against her legs. Milo carefully positions his hands on her arm.

"Mags..."  
I look up, and for a moment he doesn't say anything, then he lifts his eyes to meet my gaze and says quietly.

"I'm sorry about Will."

I swallow hard and feel tears begin to build in my eyes.

"You ready?"

I nod and he takes a deep breath, with one swift movement he snaps the elbow back in place and straightens the bone. Lola arches her back as she screams, and I have a hard time holding her down. Steel and the others run up at once, and Steel instantly has a knife at Milo's throat as he roars.  
"If you hurt her again I swear I'll slit your throat!"  
I manage to calm Lola down enough to where I can release her.  
"Steel! Stop, her elbow was out of joint and he had to put it back."

Milo is frozen, still holding Lola's arm in place as he holds his head back to avoid the razor-sharp knife blade at his throat. Steel glances down at Lola and sees that she is apparently unharmed. He slowly lowers his knife and storms off to scout the perimeter.

Milo lets out a sigh of relief and shakes his head slightly.  
"I wish I wasn't on his bad side."  
I shrug.

"You aren't, he's just a little tense."  
Milo chuckles slightly.  
"I'd say more than a little. Pass me those two sticks would you?"

I look briefly through the small pile of supplies and find two long straight sticks. I hand them to him.

"Thanks, now the bandages."

I pass them over. He begins to create a splint, working quickly, moving Lola's arm as little as possible. Soon her arm from the elbow down to the wrist is wrapped tightly in a bandaged splint.

Lola stirs and her eyes flutter open.

"Mags..."  
I help her to sit up and give her a hug.  
"I'm right here, you're safe."

She whimpers and shifts her splinted arm.

"My arm hurts."

Milo sorts through the pile and holds up a small bottle. He looks at Lola and gives her a small smile.

"Here we go, this should do the trick."  
He twists off the lid and shakes out a small white pill, Patricia hands him a canteen and he hands both the Lola.

"Swallow that. It'll help the pain."

She quickly takes the pill, and after a drink from the canteen, she hands it back to Patricia.

"Thank you..."  
Lola trails off and suddenly frowns at Milo.

"Who are you?"

He laughs.  
"I'm Milo, District three."  
Lola nods slowly.

"I remember...sorry about your District partner."

Milo nods sadly.

"Yeah, me too."

She looks down at her arm and wiggles her fingers experimentally.

"Did you fix my arm?"

He nods. She gives him a smile.  
"Thank you."  
Milo is about to reply when Steel walks up. He looks briefly at Milo, and then crouches beside Lola when he speaks his voice is the most gentle I've ever heard.

"Are you alright?"

She nods.

"Milo fixed my arm. It doesn't even hurt anymore."  
Steel smiles and briefly tousles her hair, then he stands up and turns to Milo, offering him his hand.  
"I'm sorry I snapped at you earlier. Thank you."  
Milo shakes his hand and grins.  
"No problem. Say if you guys are still heading to the meadow, I can show you the way. And give you guys some pointers on certain aspects of the area."

Steel nods.  
"That would be great. Do you maybe want to stick around? We could use someone with medical skills."

Milo thinks for a long moment, briefly glancing at me before saying.

"I guess I could stay with you guys for a bit. You do have some wounds in the group that could use some surveillance."

Steel flashes him a quick smile.  
"Alright then. Troy! Melinda! We're moving out."

* * *

**Authors Note: Okay okay, sucky short chapter I know :P But it's late and my Imaginatron isn't working properly so this is what you get for now ;)**

**Anyway! I am going to try my best to get another (longer) chapter up tomorrow at some point, so keep a look out for that! Tonight I shall be thinking up plot/storyline for next chapter, so that's another reason. Something BIG is coming...and tragic :( so be prepared! To quote Scar ;) If you don't get that refrence, you had no childhood :P**

** Goodnight Hamiltons! (new nickname for my fans :P)**


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello everyone!**

**I'm soo sorry for not updating in a while, but you would not believe all the things that happened last week...it's been brutal. I will say that I had a visitation on Sunday, and a funeral on Monday. Needless to say...it's been a hard week. So I have returned to give you all another chapter, since I actually have time for once, and I feel like writing again.**

**So! Hunger Games fans, I'm sure you've all seen the first official Catching Fire teaser trailer. IT WAS AWESOME!**

***fangirl squeal* I'm really not like this in real life...but if there's one thing that can make me go utter fan girl...it's the Hunger Games :D**

**What did you guys think? I was pleasantly surprised, because I was afraid they'd cut out most of the Victory Tour, but that's like what the trailer was about, so I'm very happy about that. Although I am a little mad that they showed the kiss between Gale and Katniss, I felt like that wasn't a smart move, for anyone who hasn't read the books, it's like "Spoiler alert! Oh oops, too late!" But other than that I really enjoyed it.**

**Plus it looks like they have done a really good job, paying attention to details, Katniss and Peeta meeting with Haymitch in D11's justice building for one. *giddy sigh* I'm sorry...I'm just SO EXCITED!**

**Oh and to squash any rumors you've heard, the talk about a casting call for "Madge Cresta" was an april fools joke. And a cruel one at that. Can you imagine? Oh they would not live to see the premier *scowl***

**Okay...moment over, and finally getting to the actual story here and now, since that's what you all are here for anyway :D**

**I have also been procrastinating writing this chapter...especially since most of the reviews I got were like...asking me not to do something that I had already planned to do in this chapter. *cough***

**My sincere apologies to everyone...but it had to be done. FOR THE GOOD OF THE STORY! So...here's the chapter.**

**(Please review! Thank you!)**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-four: When did tributes, become friends?**

Lola is unable to walk at first, still shaken from her close call, and weak from the long dash through the forest, so Troy and Steel, being the two strongest, take turns carrying her piggy-back style.

The temperature hasn't risen any, but no more trees have fallen. The gamemakers are either satisfied with the brief suspense and Lola's close call, or they are planning something bigger. I have my suspicions and worries as to why they're letting us out of the forest. Undoubtedly some new horrors await us in the meadow. But, it's better than staying in the now lifeless, deadly forest. Besides, now we have Milo with us.

He's walking beside me, not slipping now since I helped him apply some of the non-stick goo. He's as quiet as ever, especially subdued in a large group. There is still a bit of tension between him and Steel, even though they've come to some mutual understanding of each other.

I glance ahead and see Lola clinging with one arm to Steel's back, He's plodding along seeming without any strain, one arm gripping a long throwing knife, the other supporting Lola gently. Lola is completely worn down from fatigue and stress, her head is resting against Steel's shoulder, and I can tell she's asleep. Even though she's so small, it has to be tiring to carry her for a long time while she's a dead weight. Troy falls back and offers to take her. Steel shakes his head and shifts her gently.

"I don't want to wake her."

He says quietly. I remember him mentioning that him and Melinda have been close, I wonder if he ever interacts with her little sisters. He seems to have that whole "big brother" vibe, which could very easily be from Melinda's little sisters. The thought of siblings, causes the constant throb of pain in my chest to ach all the harder. Then I think of how the other tributes have families too, Milo for one lost Rosa, his cousin. Melinda has little sisters to go home too. Troy has a little sister. I don't know anything about the careers, but everyone has at least some family right?

Milo clears his throat nervously, kicking at a frozen rock and rubbing his arms. I glance at him as we continue to walk.

"Something bothering you?"

He glances ahead and shrugs.

"We're getting close to the meadow..."

I look ahead, then back at him.

"So?"

He briefly scans the forest around us.

"There are some things we should look out for."

I suddenly become alert.

"Like what?"

He shrugs.

"Well...just there are some unsafe paths to get from the forest to the meadow. I know the safe one."

I stare at him.

"Then why aren't you up front?"

He glances nervously at Steel.

"Well...I don't think certain people would like me taking charge."

I grab his arm and pull him along with me, drawing level with Steel.

"Steel, Milo says there's one completely safe way into the meadow, he doesn't know if there are any other safe ways."

Steel halts, creating a full stop for the group. Milo swallows nervously and tugs slightly against my grip.

"You know a safe path?"

Steel asks Milo in an even voice. Milo nods.

"Go up ahead and show Patricia the way."

Steel says with a nod in Patricia's direction. Milo nods and jogs over to Patricia, after a moment of hushed talking, we move out again. This time Patricia follows closely behind Milo, Troy walks behind them, Steel, bearing Lola, walks behind him, and I walk alongside Steel. We walk in silence, walking slower than before as Milo carefully picks his way, the rest of us following carefully in his footsteps.

"He's not a bad kid."

Steel's quiet comment startles me, and after a moment I nod.

"He has a good heart, and a very capable head on his shoulders."

Steel shifts Lola's still sleeping form slightly, and lets out a sigh.

"I didn't mean to be hard on him earlier..."

I pat his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't worry about it, we're all a little tense."

Steel nods.

"I didn't want him to show up...I didn't want someone else to get attached to."

He lets out a sigh and shakes his head.

"I don't understand...any of this. Why would they do this to us? Life has its troubles as it is, without being thrown into a death match with other kids...good people, who deserve to live."

I nudge his arm, warning him to keep it down. I'm sure they're muting what he's saying, the capitol will just think we're making small talk, but the gamemakers, and high officials will know he's talking rebellion. He continues, but in a lower voice.

"The capitolites don't think about what they're doing, it doesn't even register that they're murdering innocent children every year...for their entertainment."

I glance up and see he has tears in his eyes. He grinds his teeth together and says bitterly.

"It's sick, and I'm sick of it, of everything. You know my dad died in the games? he was eighteen, married my mom, and right after he got the news that he was going to be a dad, he gets reaped. Five years later, my mom switches on the television just in time to see my dad get killed in a replay of his games, she can't take it anymore and hangs herself. Tell me how that's fair? Help me understand why. Why is my family cursed? My parents never did anything, they were just trying to be happy in this cruel world."

Tears run down my cheeks, I don't even try to stop them. I see Steel is crying too, but his face is set in a grim resolution.

"They can take me away from my home, force me into these games, but they will _never_ make me into one of them."

He looked up at the others, and glanced at me.

"One of you has to win, when you do, always remember what is good and right in this world. Don't ever let them rule you."

Lola suddenly shifts on his shoulders, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck and kissing his cheek, tears running down her own.

"Steel, you deserve better than this."

She says quietly. He lets out a sigh, and gives her a small smile.

"We all do."

Just then, Milo halts and motions us forward. Lola squirms down from Steel's back and walks on her own. We all gather around Milo, and he quickly explains the situation.

"I was afraid of this. See that ravine up there?"

He points up ahead to where I can see a long crack in the ground. After some nods, Milo continues.

"Well, last time I came by here, it wasn't that wide. down in it are these strange plants, they seem to be motion sensitive."

Melinda looks intently towards the ravine.

"What do the plants do?"

Milo scratches his head.

"Well, as far as I can tell by careful observation, when they sense something moving above them, they release this toxic gas that instantly kills whatever was near the ravine, it tumbles into the ravine and from there the plants slowly feed off of the corpse."

Lola wrinkles her nose.

"Eww."

Milo nods.

"Yes, ew indeed. Well, when I was here last, there were several places where the ravine was broken by solid ground, and I was able to pass over. Now there doesn't appear to be any."

Steel quickly scanned the area.

"Is there any way around?"

Milo spends a minute thinking, then he snaps his fingers.

"I've got it! There's this stream that runs into the ravine, as far as I can tell, the plants don't like water, there aren't any growing within ten feet of the stream."

Steel frowns.

"How did you figure that one?"

Milo grins and adjusts his glasses.

"I spent most of one day tossing rocks into the ravine to locate where the plants were."

Steel raises his eyebrows, looking impressed.

"Alright, how far to the stream?"

Milo, after a brief scan of our surroundings pointed left.

"About an hour's walk that way."

Steel slapped Milo on the back and gave him a small push forward.

"Lead the way."

Milo looks pleased, and takes the lead again with Patricia. I give Steel a small smile and we start the walk once again.

Lola runs up to me and walks beside me for a bit. After several minutes of walking in silence, Lola finally speaks up.

"Mags..."

I look down.

"Hmm?"

She fiddles with her jacket sleeve, still wearing mine. She hesitates before holding something out to me, avoiding eye contact. I hesitate for a moment, before slowly holding out my hand. She drops something into my palm and drops her hand. I take my gaze off her, and look at the object she gave me. I feel a tightness in my chest.

In my hand is a small, driftwood carving of a sea turtle. It used to be part of a necklace my mother always wore, dad gave it to her when they first became sweethearts. I remember giving the turtle to Will when he was little. He's always valued it as his greatest possession.

"Where...where did you get this?"

My voice falters as I ask the question, and Lola's voice wavers when she answers me.

"Will...he gave it to me after you saved me. He told me where your camp was..."

She trails off and wipes her eyes quickly before continuing.

"He told me he wasn't going to come back, and that you would look after me. I...I tried to stop him, tried to tell him he was going to be fine, but he just grinned and kissed my cheek. Then he handed that to me and said I should give it to you...after he..."

She broke off and wiped tears off her cheeks, biting her sleeve as she choked out a little sob. For a moment, I can't say anything, I can only stare at the small wooden turtle in my hand. Then I curl my fingers around the charm, and close my fist tightly around it, holding my fist to my heart and closing my eyes for a moment. I expect to cry, but instead find a sense of closure.

Will knew he was going to die, he gave Lola this to pass on to me, he wanted me to have it. I can't let him down.

"Thank you."  
I say quietly, sliding my hand into Lola's and holding it tightly. She sobs and leans her head against me. I put my arm around her, knowing that we have both suffered a deep loss with Will's death. He took a piece of each of our hearts with him.

"Stop!"

Milo's urgent hiss instantly freezes all of us, Steel silently moves next to Milo and whispers.

"What is it?"

Milo holds up a hand, and tilts his head to one side. Then we all hear it.

"I told you I heard something!"

"Well you're always hearing something, how do I know it's not going to be another freakish mutt? You almost got us killed last time!"

"Killed, Champion? It was a little squirrel thing."

"Oh, big talk Burk! You didn't get bit by one of those savage things. My leg was in agony for days! I probably would have died if I hadn't gotten medicine."

"Will the two of you stop &!#^*&% and man up?! Suzan and I are being the men of the group right now."

Lola's eyes grow wide and she clings to my hand.

"It's the careers!"

She says in a breathless whisper. Steel is looking around frantically, but there's nowhere to run but into the forest.

"You're an idiot Champ! I don't hear anything!"

"I'm the idiot? Maybe you can't hear anything because senses require a brain!"

There's some laughter and an angry growl from Burk.

"Hey! Cut it out Burk! The careers need to stay together if we're ever going to take down those other tributes."

"Take them down? I recall the last time we were encountered by them we ran away."

There's a dead silence, and all the Rivals hold their breath for fear of being discovered. Ruby breaks the silence, her voice low and dangerous.

"Ran away? We were making a rational decision to retreat when the odds weren't in our favor."

Champion laughs and says in a slightly mocking voice.

"Well may the odds be ever in your favor."

I take a moment to think of this statement. Life isn't about odds, it's about decisions, and choices. Odds, can be translated to Chance, or Fate, and wishing us luck will never actually help.

"Don't mock me! Burk and I were wounded! We were already winded, there was no point in attacking when we didn't have the upper hand!"

Ruby is shrieking now, and I can hear her slashing furiously at frozen undergrowth.

"Woah, calm down Ruby, he didn't mean anything by it."

I feel a hand on my arm, I turn and meet Steel's eyes. He leans forward and whispers close to my ear.

"We need to get them away, who knows if they've discovered the meadow yet, but if they haven't, it could prove as a safe haven...from them at least. We need a plan before we attempt an attack on them, and now is just not the time or place."

I nod in agreement.

"But what do we do?"

Steel's eyes grow distant, and I can tell he's thinking.

"You know what has to be done Steel."

It's Milo, he's crouching to one side of Steel and I. Steel looks up, and shakes his head.

"No, we will figure something else out."

Milo smiled.

"I'm the one with the brain remember? There isn't any other solution...at least not one that will work in the next minute. You know what we have to do."

Steel shakes his head again.

"I said; No."

Milo adjusts his glasses and slips his pack off his shoulder.

"I wasn't asking for you permission. The only way you're going to stop me, is to kill me, and that's a little counterproductive don't you think?"

Steel looks around desperately, trying to find a solution.

"There has to be something else..."

I look from him to Milo, and slowly ask, knowing I'll dread the answer.

"What's going on?"

Steel grinds his teeth together.

"Milo wants to lure them away."

My head snaps up.

"What? Are you crazy? You'll be killed!"

He puts a hand over my mouth before I can get too loud, and says gently.

"It's alright, okay? It's my choice."

He looks Steel hard in the eye, and says calmly.

"Let me do it. For everyone's safety."

Steel looks long and hard at him, then very slowly nods.

"Thank you."

Milo takes his hand off my mouth and stands up.

"Mags, you can have my pack, although it might be a pain to lug around extra weight."

I feel tears building in my eyes and I stand up.

"No...please, there has to be some other way."

He shakes his head.

"Look, someone's got to win this thing and it's not the careers. It's not me either, or Steel, we've known it from the minute our names were called. You..._you_ can make a difference. Don't let us down alright?"

His eyes are filling with tears as he smiles and gives me a hug. Steel gives him a nod, and with a deep breath Milo turns to the others.

"Get safe alright? Don't let this be for nothing."

He takes off in the direction the careers voices were coming from, and yells.

"HEY! PEA BRAINS!"

There's an instant shout and clamor as the careers spot him.

"Here I am! Why don't you try to use your brains and catch me!"

The careers let out skin-crawling whoops and howls as they take chase, caught up in blood lust. Their cries are growing distant when a blood-curdling scream pierces the air. Along with a triumphant shout from Ruby. I bolt in their direction, sense driven out of me by instinct.

"Milo!"

I feel strong arms snatch me around my waist and hold me back, and a hand clamps over my mouth. I struggle helplessly as I hear more screams and horrid laughs from the careers. Tears stream down my cheeks as Steel drags me away, keeping tight hold of me, and making sure his hand is placed securely over my mouth.

A cannon booms out in a sudden silence.

I'm rigid for a few seconds, before collapsing into Steel's arms, sobbing. The careers are so far away, we can't hear them anymore, they probably went back to camp, figuring that Milo was what they had heard.

Steel continues to hold onto me, although now his arms are wrapped around me comfortingly, I sob into his shoulder.

"I can't take it any more...I can't keep living in this world, I can't watch people die, while I stand by...helpless to stop it. I...I just want it to be over."

Steel nods, and I feel tears drop onto my neck.

"I know."

I struggle free from his arms and grab one of the knives from his belt.

"Mags what are you doing!"

He cries in a subdued shout. I hold the knife tightly, and slowly step away from Steel.

"I...I don't know..."

I look down at the knife blade, so invitingly sharp and pointed. What would it be like? Dying? It would free me from this awful world, reunite me with my mother and Will.

"Mags...you're not thinking straight."

I look up, tears in my eyes.

"I don't know what to think anymore!"

Steel takes a step forward, and I quickly hold the point of the blade an inch from my chest. He stops and holds up his hands calmly.

"Mags, try to think for a moment. What would your family want you to do? What about Felix? What would he think of all this?"

Felix...he would do the same thing...joining Will, my mother and I. Do I want that? No...maybe? No I want Felix to be happy. He's probably got a knife right now, ready to follow my moves exactly. What would father say? Leroy...he would never think of me the same.

"Mags."  
I look up and see Lola standing there, she has tears in her eyes.

"Will would never forgive you."

This is it, I drop the knife and kick it away from me. Sobbing bitterly with my head bowed. Steel quickly retrieves the knife, and slides it into its sheath.

"Think of what you have to live for Mags, no matter how small something is, it's still worth more than all the reasons not to."

I can't help laughing at this.

"Look who's talking."  
I say weakly. Steel smiles and shrugs.

"Hey, I never said I was going to kill myself."

Patricia walks up to me and gives me a tight hug.

"Don't you leave us too."

I hug her back.

"I won't...I'm sorry. I don't know what happened."

Troy shrugs.

"You had a lapse of insanity, don't worry, it happens to the best of us."

He grins, and I laugh again. It feels weird, but I've quit trying to sort through all my jumbled emotions. Steel points a little ways ahead and says quietly.

"There's the stream."

We all slowly make our way to the stream, and carefully cross the ravine. We only have enough daylight left to venture about a mile into the meadow, we quickly find a place to make camp, and set up as night falls.

We eat a little, but none of us have very much of an appetite. We sit and watch the stars come out, then we see the anthem. Milo's face appears in the sky, round glasses, shaggy brown hair, hint of a smile on his lips, and an intelligent twinkle in his eyes. Tribute, cousin, friend.

Lola's soft, clear voice quietly floats across the air as she starts to sing.

"_Over the mountains of life's trials, through the valley of death. Across the river, that flows like time through the day. We watch you depart, on your last breath._

_Though you are gone, and we are here, we know you are safe, you have nothing to fear. Life is better, where you are, we'll look up and see your soul as a star._

_The stars shine bright, every soul is alight, you give us courage, when we see your light. The darkness is never total, there is always a sign, when things seem lost, hope will always shine._

_So shed no tears, dry your eyes, put on a smile, the sun will rise. And keep me in your heart, through every day, and in the dark, you will find your way._

The last note hangs in the air, and no one breaks the silence. We all sit and gaze up at the stars, thinking our own thoughts, and feeling our own emotions. I look up and see Orion; Will's favorite constellation, as I watch, a bright light streaks across Orion's bow, giving the illusion that he had just shot an arrow. In some strange way, I feel like somehow, Will saw that as well.

We sit for a long time, all silent, all not looking at anyone else. But without looking, I know not one of the Rivals has a dry eye. We have all shed tears tonight, maybe for different reasons, or maybe we all feel the deep emotion behind Lola's simple song.

I know that, after hearing it, I will never be the same.


	25. Chapter 25

**Hey, hey!**

**Sorry for the prolonged update again, I am SWAMPED with my writing...**

**But I guess that's my own fault, I was crazy enough to get on TWO other writing sites :P If you are interested in reading any of my original works, you could check them out, I am on "Noveljoy " and "Wattpad" you can find me under both as "Wendy Hamlet"**

**My story on Wattpad, I've been writing for almost a year I think, it's book one in a six book series. I wanted to try and get it published, but I thought why not post it on Wattpad and see what people think? After all, they can give me some input on how I could make the story better. So I've been posting the chapters up. (it also gives me an excuse to finally push through my writers block and finish book one.)**

**Then the story on Noveljoy is a new idea...it was sort of mashed in with my other book but I separated the two ideas and viola! Two different novels were born.**

**ANYWAY! Enough of me babbling, (but if you do check out my stories, I would appreciate a comment letting me know what you think and if there can be anything I could improve) So! On to the story here and now.**

**I am SOOOOO sorry for killing Milo, I really didn't want to do it, but I had to! :( I know some of you were really mad that I killed him off so soon, but the games are going to wrap up soon, and when the final battle comes, well the careers shouldn't be that outnumbered.**

**shout out to "Cupcake" I'm sorry for killing him :( and thank you for all your reviews, they always make me smile :)**

**Also this chapter is wimpy short, but I had writers block and I figured something was better than nothing :P**

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-five: Caught in a web.**

I try to roll over, not thinking of where I was, and only end up getting my legs tangled in my sleeping bag. Pulling my arms free, I rub my eyes and yawn, then I sit up and struggle with the zipper of my sleeping bag, but it's caught on the fabric and refuses to budge. After a few moments, my hand slips from the zipper, and I skin my knuckles on a rock.

"Argh! Curse this %&#$ zipper!"

My outcry brings Troy over to my side, and he quickly frees the zipper and releases me from the sleeping bag. I glance at him sulkily as I pull my legs free.

"How come you can do it so easily?"

He grins.

"Advantage of being strong I guess. How'd you sleep?"

I sigh and straighten my clothes out.

"Nightmares."

Troy nods sympathetically.

"Yeah...sucks that they start so soon for you."

I look at him confused.

"What do you mean?"

He shrugs.

"I'm friends with a victor back home...she gets them bad."

I nod, thinking of Dash's constantly troubled sleep.

"Yeah...I know a victor too. Seems like it's one of the downsides to winning."

Troy rolls my sleeping bag up for me as he says.

"Have you always had nightmares? Seems like victors don't get them till after the games."

I think for a minute.

"Not since..."

I trail off, finishing my sentence after taking a deep breath.

"My mom died when I was young, I had nightmares after that."

Troy hands me my sleeping bag and gives me a small smile.

"I'm sorry. Seems like you've been through more hell than all of us."

I shove the sleeping bag into my pack as I answer sadly.

"Yeah maybe."

A thought suddenly strikes me, and I turn to him quickly.

"Hey, why wasn't I woken up for a guard shift?"

Troy shrug.

"Steel said he would cover for you. Maybe he thought you'd need a full nights sleep."

I glance at Steel, walking up to camp bearing an armful of firewood.

"Oh, okay."

Troy stands up and walks over to talk with Steel. Lola walks up and gives me a hug.

"Morning Mags."

I give her a smile.

"Hey Lola, how did you sleep?"

She shrugs.

"Okay I guess."

"Your song was beautiful last night."

She gives me a shy smile.

"Thanks, it's a traditional farewell song back home. Do you want to help the other girls and I with breakfast?"

I stand up and stretch briefly.

"Sure, what's on the menu?"

I follow her over to the other girls sorting through the supplies.

"Well, we've got some dried beef, a package or two of crackers, some rabbits, a squirrel, and a small bag of dried fruit. Oh and water."

Patricia says as she takes inventory. I yawn as I run over the supplies in my head.

"That won't last us very long, we'll have to go hunting and foraging."

Melinda nods.

"The boys were talking about exploring the meadow today and trying to find a better campsite, I think they were planning on hunting too."

"We need to find a water source, we're running low on fresh water. Also a river or lake would provide a source of food as well."

I say musing, then I turn to Patricia.

"Didn't you say there was a lake with an island in the middle of it?"

She nods.

"Yeah, it's close to the center of the meadow."

I think for a minute.

"The island might make a good camp, I'm not sure the careers can swim, and even if they can, they won't be able to sneak up on us."

Melinda nods.

"Good thinking, you should talk to Steel about it."

I glance over to where Troy and Steel are starting to set up a fire. I walk over and tap his shoulder.

"Hey Steel can I talk to you for a minute?"

He straightens up and brushes his hands off on his pants.

"Sure thing, what do you need?"

"Well I was talking to Patricia and Melinda, and I was thinking that the island in the middle of the lake Patricia saw would make a good camp. The careers can't swim as far as I know, and if they can, they still wouldn't be able to stealth attack us. The lake could provide an almost limitless water and fish as well."

Steel nods thoughtfully.

"What do you think Troy?"

Troy scans the area we're in now.

"I think Mags has a point, we're a bit out in the open here, and we still don't know where the careers camp is. They could spot our smoke and then we'd be trapped."

Steel twirls one of his knives absent-mindedly.

"I was hoping you would agree. Why don't we move out now, we can eat on the go."

Troy nods.  
"I'll start gathering the supplies."

He walks over to the three girls and explains the plan to them, then they all start packing up the supplies.

"Smart thinking there Mags."

Steel says with a smile. I return his smile as I say.

"Thanks. Thank you for taking my shift last night as well."

He shrugs.

"You needed a full night's sleep."

"Yeah well it wasn't very fair, you could use more sleep too."

He shakes his head.

"I hardly sleep...there's something about this place. I don't know, I guess I just want all the time I can to think."

I look at him.

"About what?"

He shrugs again.

"Just to think through things, remember little details of life back home. Sleep doesn't come easy to me in here, I don't mind taking an extra shift."

"Well thanks anyway."

He gives me a smile.

"No problem."

Troy calls to us from the other side of the camp.

"Hey you two! We're ready to move out."

We set off, and it takes us around two hours to reach the lake. There is a small forest that surrounds the lake, turning into open ground about a hundred feet from the edge of the lake. We stay in the trees, watching the water and island patiently.

"Do you think it's safe?"

Patricia asks in a whisper. Steel chuckles in a low voice.

"Safe? Nothing is safe in the arena. But it doesn't look imminently life threatening. What do you think Mags?"

I think for a minute, my eyes scanning the area.

"It looks safe enough. But you never know for sure."

Steel nods, and we wait in silence for a few moments.

"I'll go check it out, if I'm not back in twenty minutes come looking for me."

I put a hand on his arm, stopping him.

"Wait, let me go."

He turns to me and shakes his head.

"No way."

"Come on, I'm faster than you, and I am by far the best swimmer."

He looks uncertain.  
"Alright it's settled."

I stand up and slip my pack off my shoulders, gripping a long knife and my lance.

"Be careful."

Steel says reluctantly. I flash him a grin before running to the lake edge and diving in. I hold my lance in front of me, and with swift strokes I am soon on the island. I wring as much water out of my clothes as I can, and pull my hair out of my face. Then I signal the others and enter the wooded island.

I see evidence of many animals here, which is strange because I didn't see any on the mainland. Living conditions must be easier on the island. I glimpse a rabbit dashing off into the trees, and a few squirrels shake the branches above my head. They don't seem too frightened of me, and I wonder if they've ever really had any interaction with a human before.

The island seems safe, I haven't seen any red flags so to speak, and there doesn't seem to be anything gamemaker tampering, but you can't ever be sure.

I can see the other side of the island through the trees, and I'm just about to turn back when something catches my eye. I squint as the sun flashes off of something, but the minute the light is gone I lose sight of whatever was reflecting the light. I creep steadily forward, and reach the end of the trees. I crouch at the forest edge and scan the lakeshore. There it is again! My eye stays on where the light caught, and I see an almost transparent cord. I walk forward and observe the cord cautiously.

It's about the thickness of a fishing rope, it's like fishing line, but used for much larger targets such as sharks. It stretches across the lake to the mainland, but I can't see where it ends. I follow the line to a tree, and examine where it is attached closely.

"What the..."

Realization dawns on me, and my eyes grow wide in terror. I take off running for the side of the island I crossed over on, hoping I can run fast enough. It takes me about three minutes to reach the shore, my eyes search the opposite shore wildly. The Rivals are gone.

I force myself not to panic, and plunge into the water, swimming as fast as I can to the mainland. I stumble onto the shore, and quickly look around for tracks, fighting the welling fear and panic.

"Mags!"

The cry brings my head up in an instant, and I see Patricia running towards me. I run to meet her, breathlessly shouting.

"Pat! You have to warn the others, there are-"

She cuts me off with a terrified look and finishes my sentence.

"Giant spiders! I know. They took Lola and Steel!"


	26. Chapter 26

**Heeeey!**

**So I swear I'm not just making an excuse when I say that I HAVE been really busy... I'm always like "okay, get all my school and chores and other things done, and then I'll have time to write!" But it seems like once I get all of that done well, it's already late :P**

**It's sort of late now...but I promised myself to update today so here we are.**

**I'm not sure how long this chapter will be, but I'm hoping it will be longer than the last one...that was just pathetic! Anyway!**

**Moving on now, I hope you guys continue to show support by reviewing...*cough, cough* and I hope you continue to enjoy the story as well! :)**

**PS: I actually wrote half of it last night, and I just finished and posted today...so much for my promise :P**

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**Chapter Twenty-six: Arachnid nightmare.**

I feel my heart sink, and my mouth goes dry with fear. Patricia looks terrified, her eyes wide and her arms trembling. She's looking at me expectantly, and realization hits me with staggering force. The Rivals expect _me_ to take charge.

"Whe-"

My voice wavers so I take a deep breath and force myself to think.

"What happened?"

She shakes her head.

"I'm not sure, I was unconscious almost the whole time, Troy is the only one who saw everything...he's wounded."

I nod, forcing my brain to form a plan.

"Okay...okay, okay. Where are the others?"

Patricia turns and starts running back the way she came, I keep hot on her heels and soon we reach a clearing in the forest. I see Troy stretched out on the ground, his head supported by a rolled sleeping bag. Melinda is standing next to him, her usually brooding face creased with worry. I walk straight to Troy, noticing for the first time several long cuts across his chest. Melinda glances up at me as I kneel down by Troy's side.

"How is he?"

I ask her quietly.

"_He_ is fine thank you very much."

Troy grumbles as he opens his eyes and shifts slightly, wincing as he does. Patricia walks over and hands him a canteen. He takes a long drink from it and hands it back.

"What happened?"

I ask, unable to keep the anxiety out of my voice. Troy grits his teeth together as he forces himself into a sitting position, fresh blood flowing from his wounds as he does.

"They came out of nowhere...we didn't even see them coming. Mel and I were watching the island, Patricia was taking stock of our supplies while Steel and Lola were foraging for some food. Everything was so quiet...then we heard Lola scream. We ran as fast as we could, finally coming to this clearing. Lola was laying on the ground, Steel was standing over her with several long knives, defending them against a huge black spider...it was the most grotesque thing I've ever seen. All shiny black, too many eyes, long legs...it had a tail too, long and spindly, kind of like a scorpions. It lashed out with it and stabbed Steel in the side. He cried out in pain before shuddering violently and collapsing beside Lola. We tried to reach them in time...but then more showed up, Pat was knocked unconscious and I was wounded by one of the nasty things. Turns out they have one long claw on the end of each leg. After I was cut open, Melinda was able to drag Pat and I to safety, the arachnid mutts seemed satisfied, they made off into the forest, taking Steel and Lola with them."

I stare into space, shocked and horrified by Troy's recount of the unsuspected turn of events. Troy grinds his teeth together again, his body tense from the pain, sweat beading on his forehead.

"I should have stopped them...if I had only struck faster."

I shake my head, slowly collecting my wits as my brain starts to work again.

"You couldn't have moved faster, you tried your best."

He doesn't look very comforted, but he nods all the same. I frown as all the information begins to set in.

"How did you get knocked out Patricia?"

She pulls up her sleeve, exposing a scratch on her arm.

"I got cut by one of their whips, before I knew it I was in dreamland."

"Their tails?"

She nods. I try to remember my time on the island.

"Wait a minute...I didn't hear any cannons...did you guys?"

Troy shrugs.

"I was almost delirious from pain, Pat was unconscious. Mel?"

She thinks for a moment.  
"I can't say for certain...there was a lot of commotion."

A little spark of hope begins to glimmer deep inside me.  
"So they could still be alive?"

Melinda shrugs.

"It's possible."

I stand up.

"We have to make certain, I'm not going to let them die just because we assumed they were already dead."

Troy attempts to stand.

"I second that!"

Then he lets out a cry of pain and collapses, clutching his chest and gasping. Melinda pushes him back into a lying position and shakes her head at him.

"I told you not to move. Now look what you've done."

She pointed to the wounds on his chest, now flowing blood with renewed vigor. He gingerly pulls his shirt away from the wounds, his hand coming away soaked crimson.

"!#$% wounds won't stop bleeding."

He says angrily, Melinda pours some water on his hand, cleaning the blood off.

"I told you, it's the venom, not toxic...per say, but you'll bleed out if you don't let these wounds seal up."

He winces and growls in frustration.

"It'll be too late by then!"

Suddenly there's a beeping and we all turn our eyes skyward as a silver parachute floats down from the trees, landing a few feet away from Patricia. She retrieves in and brings it over to me.

"It's marked with a seven, and I could be wrong, but I'm guessing it's for Troy."

She says with a small smile as she hands the container to me. I grin and twist open the top. Inside is a small jar of green goop, a medical needle and thread, and a tough bandage. I look at Melinda.

"What do you think?"

Melinda shrugs.

"You're the doctors kid."

I twist the lid off of the jar, and sniff the goop. It's foreign to me, so it must be Capitol medicine. I know how to use the needle and thread, and the bandage, but I'm not sure when I should apply the goop. I decide to apply it before stitching the wounds.

"Troy, any way you can get your shirt off?"

After a little struggling, and a little help from Melinda, he is able to pull off his shirt, exposing his wounds fully. They're wider than they first appeared, and deep, although not dangerously so. His torso is thick with knotted muscle and marked with scars like the rest of his body. His sides are quivering, and his torso glistens with sweat, I'll have to work fast.

I scoop some of the green goop out and very gently touch it to his wounds, not knowing how he'll react to the medicine. He flinches as I carefully spread it across the length of his wound.

"It's cold."

He says as I apply another glob onto his other wound. Melinda taps my arm and points to the first wound. I turn my attention back and gasp.

The goop is turning darker green, absorbing the blood that is still trying to escape the wound. It must be sealing the blood in, effectively stopping the blood flow.

"How does it feel?"

I ask Troy, he takes a deep breath and shrugs.

"A little tingly, and cool."

I nod, pulling out the needle and threading it.

"I'm going to stitch you up now...it's probably going to hurt."

He nods stiffly, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes.

"Make it quick."

I place a hand on his chest to steady my other hand, and quickly begin to stitch up his wounds. He flinches at first, then clenches his jaw and bears the pain quietly. I work fast, and soon I knot the end and cut the thread. Then I bandage the wounds.

"There you go, all patched up. You should be fine now."

He opens his eyes and with a grunt pushes himself into a sitting position, after a few deep breaths he manages to stand.

"Alright, I should be good to go."

Patricia laughs.  
"You can barely stand! How do you expect to go attack a ton of giant arachnid mutts?"

He retrieves his spear and walks in a circle for a minute, testing his legs. He swings his arms experimentally and stretches.  
"I should be fine, that medicine really did the trick, and now I'm ready to go kick some spidery ass."

This earns a grin from me.

"I agree, we can't wait any longer. You sure you're strong enough Troy?"

He nods, flexing with a grin.

"Can't you tell?"

This causes the three of us girls to giggle and it helps lighten the mood. We're about to embark on a rescue mission that will most likely result in all of our deaths, so it feels good to laugh a little.

It doesn't take us long to gather our supplies and pile them at the foot of a very distinctive oak tree, then we collect our weapons, I realize I lost my lance on the island, and now am only armed with a long knife. After we're all ready, Melinda, being the best tracker, starts on the trail of the mutts.

The arachnid mutts don't leave much of a trail, but something that big can't go completely unnoticed. Besides the drag marks from Steel and Lola. I shudder as I imagine the giant mutts, I'm not afraid of spiders...I don't like them, but I'm not afraid of them. Giant spider mutts with sharp claws, scorpion tails, venom that knocks you out or causes you to bleed excessively, and to top it all off they're fast and agile. We're all probably going to die.

"Shhh!"

Melinda's hiss instantly freezes the rest of us. She's crouching near a tree and peering forward cautiously, after a tense moment she waves us forward.

"Do you see? We're getting close."

She points ahead to where we can see several webs stretched across some branches. I feel sick to my stomach as I see the skeletons of animals tangled in the sticky death traps. I don't see any mutts, which is either a very good, or a very bad thing.

"What do you think we should do?"

Troy asks me quietly. I think for a moment, scanning the surrounding forest.

"The mutts are fast you said?"

He nods.

"Okay...once we find Steel and Lola, if they are...if we can rescue them then we need a speedy escape plan. Any ideas on how to lose the mutts?"

We all think for a long minute.

"What if we retreat to the lake? Spiders can't swim right?"

Melinda chuckles at Patricia's statement.

"Regular spiders can't, these are giant arachnid mutts. Who knows what they can do?"

Troy shakes his head.

"No matter how warped the mutts are, they always have the same weaknesses. There was a large saber cat a few games back, it refused to go anywhere near water."

I nod, processing all the information.

"Okay here's the plan, we proceed with extreme caution. Troy, you and Patricia are going to be in charge of making sure Steel and Lola get to the lake. Melinda and I will watch your back. We move quiet and fast, let's make these mutts wonder what hit them."

The others nod.

"Troy, any advice on fighting the mutts?"

He frowns.

"Cut off the tails, and watch the legs. They have fangs too so avoid their heads."

I nod.

"Alright, let's go."

Melinda leads the way, we move as quickly and as quietly as we can, dashing around the webs as we push deeper into the forest. The webs and spider silk grows thicker between the trees, and we have to cut our way through several times. Suddenly Troy grabs Melinda and I by the arms and pulls us back behind a tree. Patricia is behind another tree a few feet away. Troy points to our left, and we catch sight of one of the mutts. I feel fear knot in my stomach at the sight of the monster.

It's at least the size of a car, if its legs were stretched out straight, they would be around ten feet long. Its dozens of red eyes glow eerily in the dim forest. I see it's tail curved up over its back, the end tipped with a needle thin spike. The claws on its legs are curved and sharp, sinking slightly into the soft ground.

I take a deep breath and will it not to spot us. It seems more occupied with stretching a thick piece of silk back and forth between a couple of trees, forming what looks like a fence almost.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I turn to Troy. I follow his finger to our right and see another giant spider, busy with creating a web much like the other one. I turn back around, and see Patricia's terrified face, her eyes wide and her hands trembling. I look at her questioningly and she manages to gesture behind us. I turn and feel a pit in my stomach as I see a third spider, performing a similar task as the other ones. It's then that it hits me.

It was too easy getting in the forest, the trail was too obvious, there was no opposition. I look at Troy, and by his grim expression I can see he's come to the same realization I have.

We've walked straight into a trap.


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey everyone!**

**So I haven't updated in a while, and it's mostly just because I haven't had any inspiration or motivation to write :P I've also been trying to finish an original novel of mine which is book one in a six book series, and writing two other stories as well, (I know I'm insane!) Anyway! So that's mostly why I haven't updated, I know you guys are eager for the next chapter and so that's why I am writing today.**

**I've been getting more Melinda love than I expected, I don't know why but I didn't think readers noticed her all that much... But hey! Glad you enjoy her character. I also get reviews saying "please don't kill off so-and-so!" but, well...it's the Hunger Games! I know it's horrible but all the characters are going to die! Except for Mags obviously, but yeah...sorry to break your hearts but they all must die :(**

**But! Don't worry, I'm going to give them all pretty good deaths...not good as in good, but good as in I'm not going to just go "Okay, and then they died, moving on!" I'll make their deaths mean something.**

**Ugh, I'm babbling again...I tend to do that when I haven't updated in a while...**

**So! On the the chapter, and PLEASE REVIEW! I can see how many people read each chapter, so all of you non-reviewers out there... I can see you O.O and I know that approximately 40 people didn't review on the last chapter *gasp* I understand if you don't have anything to say, or if you just don't like reviewing but come on! Forty people? And like... seven reviews? That's pitiful. So please make a little more effort to review, and I'll love you all for it! :D**

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**Chapter Twenty-seven: A half successful rescue.**

I feel panic tighten my chest, and for a moment I'm afraid I'll scream, but a hand on my arm distracts me enough to take a deep breath and forcibly calm myself.

"Mags, this is a trap."

Troy's whisper is low, but I catch the waver of fear in his voice. He fought these things first hand, he knows what they're capable of, and he is scared. Great, our best fighter is scared of the mutts, which means they are definitely something we should all be terrified of, what does that prove? That we're all probably going to die.

"What are we going to do?"

Patricia's voice is on the verge of hysteria, but she still manages to keep it low. My head spins as I try to figure out what to do, knowing the others are relying on me as the leader of our small group. Why me? Melinda is probably better at strategy, Troy is the strongest, Patricia is one of our best fighters, me? I'm just average, so why put me in charge? As an idea hits me, the answer comes with it. They look to me because I have leader qualities.

"Okay everyone keep calm. This is obviously a trap, but they haven't attacked us yet, so they might be letting us deeper into their nest, which means we still have a chance at rescuing Steel and Lola."

Troy looks around grimly.

"Yeah, but who's going to rescue us?"

Melinda who has been calm this whole time, silently observing everything, speaks up.

"Mags is right, we still have a chance. Once we rescue Steel and Lola, we'll have another fighter. We can surprise the mutts by walking farther into their trap instead of trying to find a way out."

I shoot her a grateful look, and she gives me the slightest of smiles. Troy looks around at the mutts.

"Well, they don't seem to be aggressive right now...the plan is crazy enough that it might just work."

I take a deep breath and push my hair out of my face, cringing slightly at how dirty and matted it feels.

"Alright, if we're going to do this, we need to move before they start to wonder why we're just sitting here and come investigate. Troy, you and Patricia are still in charge of getting Steel and Lola, Melinda and I will watch you backs."

They nod, and we quickly move forward, ducking behind trees to avoid the unwanted attention of the mutts. We move fast, and silent, making good progress through the trees. The webbing is so thick here that we are cutting our way forward. After about a minute of struggling through a particularly thick stretch of webs, we break out into a small clearing. The entire ring of trees are hemmed in by webs, forming a wall all around the clearing.

I gasp as I see Steel and Lola hanging from lines of silk thread in the middle of the clearing. My first instinct is to run and see if they're okay, but I bite my lip and keep my feet planted, knowing that running into the middle of the clearing is probably just what the mutts want. But I can't just stand here! I don't even know if they are still alive.

"Mags, you and I will cover Troy and Pat as they get the others."

Melinda's calm voice in my ear helps to calm me, and I nod, gripping my long knife tightly. Troy and Patricia take a few tentative steps into the clearing, and after no reaction, they bolt to our friends hanging forms.

Steel is strung up horizontally by three threads, one around his left foot, one around his waist, and the last is wrapped around his shoulders, pinning his left arm to his chest. Lola is wrapped in webbing from her waist to her shoulders, her arms hanging by her sides as she gently swings back and forth.

Melinda and I follow Troy and Patricia to the middle of the clearing, keeping our backs to them, and our eyes on the trees. Troy uses his spear to break the threads holding Steel up, and soon he falls free, Troy barely managing to catch him. Patricia begins to cut Steel free as Troy moves on to Lola, being very careful as he cuts the string holding her up, he catches her like she's made of glass and holds her delicately in his arms, laying her as gently as he can on the ground beside Steel.

"Are they..."

I can't make myself finish the question, but Patricia looks up and gives me a smile.

"Steel's alive."

Troy has tears in his eyes as he uses a small knife to carefully cut away the web still trapping Lola. I watch as he pulls the last of the sticky thread off of her, and checks for a pulse. He sighs in relief as a tear falls from his eyes and he says joyfully.

"Lola's alive too."

I start in surprise as Steel suddenly opens his eyes and inhales deeply, coughing slightly as he struggles to sit up.

"Where am I?"

I can't help falling on my knees and hugging him tightly.

"You're alive!"

I exclaim breathlessly as tears stream down my cheeks. He chuckles and wraps one arm around my shoulders.

"I won't be for long if you keep squeezing the air out of me."

I release him and wipe my face off, relief flooding through me after all the stress of the day.

"Mags..."  
I hear the faint word and turn with joy to see Lola's eyes flutter open. I move over to her and pull her up, hugging her tightly, as fresh tears spill out of my eyes.

"You're alright, I've got you."

She looks around confused.

"What happened?"

Troy briefly explains what happened to Lola, as Melinda joyfully embraces Steel, tears streaming down her cheeks as she clings to him tightly. He wraps both arms around her tightly, pressing his face into her hair as he whispers in her ear. And for the first time, I wonder if there's more to their relationship than just best friends. I feel a little flutter in my stomach, wondering if they feel about each other the same way Felix and I do. Then I'm reminded that only one of us can make it out alive, and I feel the ache return to my chest.

"Mags, we need to get out of here."

Troy says as he helps Lola to her feet. I nod, and hand Lola an extra knife I had brought. Melinda and Steel break apart, and he wipes her tears off with his thumb. She hands him his belt of throwing knives and he quickly buckles it around his waist.

"What's the escape plan?"

He asks in his slow drawl, his white eye staring blankly as he glances at Troy.

"Well our plan basically involves running as fast as we can to the island, and avoiding all mutts on the way."

Steel smiles.

"Sounds good. How do we get out of here?"

Melinda points to the spot where we cut our way into the clearing. Steel nods and grabs her hand.

"Let's go."

Steel and Melinda take the lead, Lola and I following after them, Troy and Patricia guarding our rear. Lola hangs onto my hand tightly, looking around frightened. I give her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I won't let anything happen to you."

I whisper encouragingly. She smiles and nods, seeming a little less scared. Melinda and Steel have released hands, and are now in stealth mode, stalking silently through the trees, always aware of everything around them. Patricia and Troy are holding their weapons tightly, keeping a wary eye behind us. Lola's hand suddenly tightens painfully around my own, and she leans against me as she says terrified.

"They're coming!"

We all stop abruptly, and we can hear the rustling as the mutts stalk us in the shadows. Steel pushes Melinda ahead of him, shouting to the rest of us, stealth now useless.

"Run! To the lake!"

We all take off in a sprint, weaving around the webs and trees as we try to outrun the mutts. Knowing that the inevitable would soon happen, we would be forced to stop and face the mutts...at least some of us.

"Keep running!"

Steel shouts as he suddenly slows his pace, and I know he's thought of the same thing I have. He's going to try to buy us enough time to get away. Melinda also senses what he's doing, and she stops as well.

"Mags keep running, get Lola safe!"

She yells at me. I feel tears stinging in my eyes as I force myself to keep moving, knowing that I have to take care of Lola, but if I wasn't looking after her, I would have sacrificed myself without a second thought.

"Come on Lola, keep running."  
I say as she tries to stop, unwilling to leave the others behind. Patricia looks tearfully at Melinda, the two of them had become dangerously close during the games. Melinda smiles at her sadly and gives her a push forward.

"Keep going Pat!"

Troy's eyes widen in shock and he shouts a warning.

"Mags look out!"

I turn a half second to late, and something hard slams into me. I land on my back, the breath knocked out of me. I see one of the mutts standing over me, long tail flicking back and forth dangerously. I am conscious enough to roll over as the spike strikes the ground where I just was, a fraction of a second later and I would have been skewered.

I roll again as another strike barely misses me, I know I can't keep this up for long, I have to figure something out. I grip my long knife and the next time the tail strikes, I swing my knife as hard as I can, severing the spike off. The arachnid mutt lets out a horrible shriek as Its tail pours blood, and it recoils away from me. I scoot back and scramble to my feet.

"Mags!"

I hear Lola's scream, and turn just in time to see her get pinned to a tree by one of the mutts. I run forward and bury my knife into the arachnid's abdomen. It writhes and crawls away, death throes making it move spasmodically I lost my knife, but I don't even care I run as fast as I can to Lola. She's lying slumped against the tree trunk, I can see several puncture marks in her stomach but there's not very much blood.

Her hands are twitching and her body is trembling fitfully. Her eyes are wide with terror and she's gasping.

"I-I can't m-move my l-legs."

I fight the building panic in my chest and hold her hands tightly.

"You're going to be fine, I'm going to take care of you..."

I choke on a sob as I say the same words to her that I said to Will. I couldn't save Will...but I promised him I would take care of Lola, I _have _to save her. I jump as a hand clamps onto my shoulder, and I turn to see Steel crouching beside me, he's looking over Lola worriedly.

"What happened?"

My hands are shaking and I have to take a few deep breaths before I can say anything.

"I...I don't know, the mutt had her pinned to a tree. I killed it but...I don't know what it did to her."

Steel holds Lola's shoulders and feels her pulse.

"Lola can you tell me what happened?"

Her body suddenly jerks in a spasm, and she inhales sharply. Something registers in my brain, and I back away slowly, shaking my head.

"No...no, no! She's going to be okay!"

Steel grabs my hand and forces me to look at him.

"Mags what is it?"

I feel sick as the words work their way out of my mouth.

"She has the symptoms of going into apoplectic shock..."

Steel glances at Lola, pain flashing across his face.

"She..."

He blinked rapidly and lifted his head.

"Troy!"

Steel stands up as Troy runs over and stares at Lola.

"What happened?"

He asks stricken. Steel shakes his head.

"We have don't have time. Get her out of here."

Troy nods and very gently lifts Lola in his arms. She looks so small and fragile in his strong arms. Steel hands me a long knife and pulls me to my feet.

"Melinda and I will guard your back. We need to get to the lake."

I nod and cover Troy as he runs towards the lake. Steel, Melinda and Patricia all follow, fighting off the mutts that are crazy enough to try and attack us. I fall back to help the others, calling to Troy.

"Get her safe!"

The mutt comes at us fast, and another one closes in behind us. Melinda and Patricia attack the one in front, while Steel and I tackle the one coming in from behind. Steel distracts it by throwing a knife at its head. The mutt deflects the blade with a claw, and advances on Steel. I run up behind it and cut it's tail off at the base. Black blood spatters my face as it spins around with a furious hiss and scrambles towards me. I back away as fast as I can, but I know that I have no chance of running. Steel runs and with an incredibly agile leap, lands on the arachnid's back and buries two knives into the back of its head.

It takes one more step, shudders and then collapses on the ground. Its legs still moving slowly. Steel slips off the body and pulls out the knives, wiping them off on his pants. Patricia and Melinda walk over, their weapons holding evidence that they took care of their mutt.

"You guys okay?"

I nod, and Steel walks over to Melinda, gently wiping some blood off her cheek that leaked down from a cut on her temple. She gives him a small smile as his hand lingers on her cheek.

Suddenly all our heads snap up as a loud boom echoes ominously through the arena. We are all frozen as we stare towards the lake, then I take off in a run.

I run all the way to the lake, I see Troy on his knees beside a small figure, tears streaming down his cheeks. He looks up at me with a stricken face as I move slower and slower, until I finally fall to my knees on the other side of Lola. Troy is cradling her in his arms gently, his face red from crying.

"I couldn't do anything...I couldn't save her."

I expect to cry, I should be screaming and sobbing, I should be acting irrationally and blaming somebody. I should be completely off the deep end by now, I held my little brother in my arms as he died, I watched friends die, innocent children being brutally murdered. Sanity should be a completely foreign thing to me now.

But instead, I very carefully take Lola from Troy, I lay her on the ground and fold her hands over her chest, I brush her hair out of her face and plant a kiss on her forehead. Then I stand up, and turn to face the others who are standing with tear-stained faces behind me. I take a deep breath and say very calmly.

"This needs to end."

And I mean it. Not just this game, but the yearly slaughter of children, the corrupt government, the way things are, it all needs to end. This game is over. Steel nods slowly.

"Lets go find the careers."

* * *

**Dun, dun dun!**

**SO lots of action and sorrow in this chapter :( Hope you liked it none the less, and reviews encourage me to update faster! (just so you know!)**

**Love all you guys! Feel free to drop comments on how you think the story is going to go, or even ideas, I pretty much have the how the whole Career+Rival showdown planned out, but I'd love to hear your input! **

**Peace out!**

**~Wendy**


	28. Chapter 28

**So...**

**This chapter is going to probably be pretty long, due to all that needs to happen in it. And it's going to be unbelievably hard to write :( *sob* I know you guys know what's coming...but nothing can prepare you for the horror and sadness this chapter will hold, that's partly the reason I've been procrastinating on writing it.**

**One; because I don't want to face the horror of typing out what has to happen in the story,**

**Two; I don't want you all to hate me...again.**

**And three: because I've been busy, and yeah...just mostly don't want to write this chapter!**

**Maybe I could skip it and just let Mags have some brief flash-backs when she's back home...nah, I have to write it :P**

***sigh***

**such are the responsibilities of a writer, it's a gift and a curse, it really is.**

**Anyway! Enough doom and gloom! Even after all the sadness and depression, there is going to be some up-sides to all this.**

**One: Mag's gets out of the games and gets to go home!**

**Two: Dash comes back into the picture :P**

**Three: Felix returns! (and hopefully I get the chance to develop his character enough so that all the Dash/Mags shippers will see reason!) :D**

**And Four! I get to sail the one and only true ship! Bwahahahaha! :) You all shall see what I have planned for poor little Magarida hehehehehe.**

**Well! Here's the chapter! Enjoy and review pleeeeeaaaase!**

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**Chapter Twenty-eight: Game over.**

We stand on the lake shore until the hovercraft comes to take Lola's body home, heads bowed and cheeks streaked with tears...all except for me.

I haven't been able to cry, or mourn, I can only watch as her small cold body is lifted into the cold machine and flown away, returning her home to her devastated family. My emotions seemed to have died with her, I only feel vaguely numb. For a moment I entertain the idea that I might have finally lost my mind, that I have been turned into a soulless, mindless killer, a mutt of the capitol. But that can't be true, because I do feel one emotion, deep down in the very center of my soul; hate.

Hate for the Capitol, for the President, and for the way Panem is. I will never stop hating what they have done, what they are doing, and what they will do in the future. And I won't be able to rest, until I know things will change. And I silently swear that I won't die until I can see the overthrow of the Capitol is imminent.

"Mags, we need to go."

Patricia's quiet summons brings my face down from the sky, and I turn to look at her. Her eyes are red from crying, and her cheeks are still wet from the tears. I stare at her blankly for a moment, then automatically slip my knife into my belt and pull my pack onto my shoulder.

The others are all getting ready, knowing that once we find the careers, the victor will be decided. Needless to say, there isn't much talking. Everyone quietly goes about their business, avoiding eye contact and thinking their own thoughts.

"This is stupid."

All of our heads come up at Patricia's sudden comment. All activity ceases and all eyes are on her. She laughs and tosses her pack on the ground, placing her hands on her hips and slowly rests her gaze on each of us.

"Why are we all moping around? Because we're probably all going to die right? Well we know we're going to die, and we're walking straight towards our death, and I don't know about all of you, but I'd rather go to my death with a smile on my face and a weapon in my hand instead of walking around like we're going to a funeral!"

Here she pauses, and smiles.

"Well, we're all going to have funerals, but we won't be there for them so I say let's go out smiling. Heck we could even laugh at the careers! We're going to die anyway right? They can't kill us more than once."

Steel nods.

"Patricia's right, the careers don't deserve to see us unhappy. We should go out fighting with smiles on our faces."

Troy looks comically horrified as he says aghast.

"We're still going to kill them all right?"

The others laugh, while I feel a flicker of pain. My friends...they're going to die. Before the sun sets, there are going to be eight more deaths, and only one of us will emerge as victor.

"You alright Mags?"

I look up at Melinda and nod.

"I'm fine, I just want it to be over."

She nods sadly, and gives me a brief hug.

"It's better to get our goodbyes over now..."

She sniffs and then pulls back, her hands on my shoulders.

"I'm really glad I got to meet you Mags, maybe we'll see each other again someday."

I nod. Melinda moves on to say goodbye to Patricia, and Troy comes over. He scratches the back of his head nervously as he clears his throat.

"Um...I guess this is goodbye."

I don't say anything. He holds out his hand and gives me a small smile.

"Bye Mags."

I clasp his hand, mine feeling small and weak compared to his.

"Troy."

He gives me one last smile before turning to acknowledge Patricia. Steel walks up and we stand looking at each other for a moment, he opens his arms and I don't hesitate to give him a hug.

"Mags, you have to be strong."

He whispers in my ear.

"You can't give up...for Will and Lola's sake."

He pulls away and looks hard into my eyes.

"Promise me something."

I look expectantly at him.  
"You'll try to make it home...for all of us."

I hesitate before nodding slowly. He gives one of his rare smiles, and gives my arm a gentle squeeze.

"Goodbye Mags."

I walk over and lean against a tree, wondering if I'll ever feel again. I see Steel and Melinda locked in a tight embrace, tears streaming down her cheeks. I can just hear what they're saying. Steel brushes his fingers through her hair as he says.

"I'm sorry Mel, I've tried so hard to keep you safe. I'm sorry I failed."

She shakes her head.

"No, you've always looked out for me and my little sisters, you did the best you could. No one could have done more."

They look into each others eyes for a moment, and then share one desperate, passionate kiss. For a moment I feel a longing in my chest, remembering when I said goodbye to Felix, when we shared our last kiss. For a moment, I feel the love and desperation in our last kiss, and the constant ache in my chest hurts a little bit more.

Melinda and Steel break apart, and he rests his forehead against hers.

"I love you Melinda, and I always will."

Melinda holds his hands tightly.

"I love you too Steel, death can't ever change that."

Something sparks inside me at her last statement. And I feel a sense of relief. She's finally managed to put words to what I've been trying to tell myself. All the people I love, I will always love them, and they will always love me, and not even death can change that.

"Well, if we're going to go kill the careers we'd better find them before nightfall."

We all decide the best place to look is the cornucopia, since that is the most likely place that they will be. We're fairly silent on the way, each thinking our own thoughts as we know they will probably be our last. I think of home, the people I love, and my hate for the capitol. I still feel like I'm in a daze, just walking through the forest with the others, carrying weapons, marching to our deaths, just another day in the arena.

Soon we come across the giant forest that the cornucopia lies in, and we all hesitate before walking in among the enormous trees. Before I know it, we're crouching on the edge of the clearing, looking in on the careers as they busy themselves with taking stock of the supplies. Steel motions us into a huddle, and quietly lays out the plan.

"Alright, this is what we need to do. We have the element of surprise, so we'll fan out and attack from all sides of the clearing. We should pair up into groups so that we each have someone to watch our backs."

We all nod, letting him continue.

"Troy, do you think you'll be alright on your own?"

He grins and twirls his hefty spear.

"I think I'll be just fine on my own."

Steel nods.

"Alright then, Troy will stay on this side of the clearing, Melinda will come with me over to the far left, Mags and Patricia, you go to the far right. We should pick targets so that we don't all go for the same career."

Before anyone can say anything, I say in a voice that doesn't leave any room for argument.  
"Ruby's mine."

Everyone exchanges glances before accepting my claim.

"Melinda and I will focus on Suzan and Champion, Troy will take down Burk, and Patricia, you can choose who to back up, depending on who needs it. Everyone clear?"

More nods. Then we all take a few moments to look at each other.

"It really has been a pleasure getting to know you all, I hope we'll all meet again some day."

Melinda holds Steel's hand tightly, and kisses his cheek. I look back at the career camp and my eyes narrow on Ruby, everything else fading until I can just see her.

"Let's go kill some careers."

Patricia and I slide off to the right, and stealthily make our way through the trees until we're a third of the way around the clearing. We crouch behind some shrubbery, and wait for the signal. I still have my gaze locked on Ruby, following her as she prowls around the camp, I can see her scimitar is slipped into its sheath on her back.

"Do you think you'll need help with her?"

I start slightly at Patricia's whisper, and take my gaze off Ruby for a moment.  
"Maybe, but I don't want any."

She nods understandingly, and rolls her shoulders.

"Alright then, I'll help out Troy."

I nod and we wait in silence again. I silently compare all the weapons.

Ruby has her scimitar, I have a long knife, more like a dagger actually. Troy has a very large spear against Burk's broadsword, Patricia has her throwing axes and a slightly larger version for hand to hand, Melinda has her bow and a small-sword, Suzan armed with a long knife and a short mace, they must have found it in the cornucopia later on in the games. Steel has his throwing knives, and his slender fighting knives against Champion's slim spear. All in all, I would say we were pretty fairly matched.

I lock my gaze back on Ruby, and wait for the signal, wait for it...wait for it...wait for it. Now!

Steel's whistle sounds sharply through the clearing, and the all the career's heads snap up in surprise.

"Take cover!"

Ruby shrieks as Melinda fires an arrow into the clearing, barely missing Champion's head. The Rivals run into the clearing with shouts and war cries, instantly engaging the careers in combat. I wait a brief moment, watching the surprise and hate on Ruby's face. Then I slowly walk into the clearing, straight for her.

"Ruby!"

I roar, using the power coursing through my veins, she looks up, and at first I see terror cross her face, paling as she spots me, then her eyes harden and she grins maliciously.

"Come to avenge your dear little brother? I told you I would make you watch him die!"

I scream and run for her, headless of the mayhem around me, avoiding Rivals and Careers locked in deadly combat as I home in on Ruby. She's mine, Mine to kill, mine to make suffer for what she's done. Mine.

Ruby stands her ground and raises her scimitar quickly to block my dagger swing. She is forced to take several steps back from the force of my blow, but she digs her feet in and shoves me back with a fierce jerk of her blade. I take a step back, keeping my balance expertly. She begins to circle me slowly, an evil smile curving her lips.

"How does it feel to have failed him? You were the one who killed him you know."

I attack savagely, and for a moment our only conversation is the ringing of steel. Then I hear a sharp scream, and I temporarily lose my focus, she takes this to her advantage by twisting her scimitar suddenly and wounding my side. I gasp in pain and draw back, holding a hand to my side to try and stop the blood flow a little. She attacks with vengeance now, drawing blood has given her confidence and I'm hard put to avoid her slashing curved blade. She seems to have a plan as she attacks strategically, moving me around in a circle. I don't know what she's doing until It's too late and sharp pain explodes across my back as I'm thrown off my feet, the wind knocked out of me.

Suzan glances down on me before Patricia runs in and draws her away from me. I try to gasp, but I can't breathe, my back hurts every time I move, and I know that I have at least three broken ribs. I scream in pain as Ruby digs her boot into my back, she leans over me and hisses.

"I'm going to make you beg for death!"

"Ruby!"

I recognize the voice and manage to turn my head enough to see Melinda starring straight at Ruby, her eyes seemed to have grown bigger, and there's a strange light in them. Ruby slowly takes the pressure off my back, and stands beside me, locked into a deadly staring contest with Melinda. I remember now that she is able to hypnotize people with her eyes, almost like a snake. Ruby has no idea what she's gotten into.

I manage to take my eyes off them for a moment, and look to see how the others are fairing. Troy and Burk are covered in wounds, their weapons long since forgotten, they roll around on the ground, locked in a death grip. Steel is busy fighting off Champion, while Patricia is still engaging Suzan.

Patricia suddenly throws one of her axes, and it buries itself in Suzan's chest. She gasps before blood streams out of her mouth and her cannon fires. She was dead before she hit the ground. Patricia retrieves her axe, and looks around, seeing Troy pinned beneath Burk, she runs over to help. Burk sees her coming, and as she raises her axe he lashes out with the back of his hand, Patricia goes flying back six feet before slamming into a tree, I hear her head crack against the wood before she slumps to the ground. No cannon.

Troy roars in anger and manages to throw Burk off of him. I'm distracted as Melinda takes a step forward, her eyes still locked on Ruby. I hear several loud cries as the wrestling Troy and Burk crash into Champion and Steel. Champion scrambles free and glances over our way, he notices Ruby and Melinda, and sensing what was happening, he runs towards Melinda. With a great effort, I raise myself slightly on my elbows and scream.

"Melinda look out!"

She turns around and blocks Champions spear with her sword. I'm helpless as Ruby shakes her head as if stunned, then steps forward and slashes her scimitar across Melinda's back, she screams and then spins around to block her next attack. Champion takes this advantage and sinks his spear into Melinda's back.

I scream and try to stand, only succeeding in agonizing pain shooting through me, I collapse back on the ground as Champion pulls his spear out. Melinda gasps and then spins around, slashing Ruby across her leg before collapsing to the ground.

A cry rips through the clearing, temporarily halting all action in the arena. I recognise that scream, the sound that means someones very soul has just been torn apart, the scream of someone dying inside, the scream of a heart breaking, the same scream that burst from my chest when Will died.

Steel runs towards Champion, reaching down and snatching Suzan's mace off the ground without breaking stride, he runs full force at Champion, and before he can react, he swings the mace with superhuman strength powered by anguish and adrenaline. The mace makes a sickening crunch sound as it comes in contact with Champions head, he falls to the ground and I look away as he writhes slowly, his jaw practically non-existent, half of his face smashed in.

Steel doesn't give him a second glance as he attacks Ruby. I shudder from pain as I try to stand up again, forcing myself to push through the pain, I manage to sit up, then the pain hits and I fall to the ground, fall into blackness, and everything else fades away into nothingness.

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Slowly, my mind returns to me, and I slowly become aware of a dull throbbing in my back. I frown confused, why does my back hurt? And then everything comes back to me and my eyes snap open. I'm dead. No? I'm still in the arena?

I stare around at the scattered, still bodies of my friends, and my enemies. They're all dead...why am I not dead? If I won shouldn't I be out of the arena? Then a thought hits me.

I'm in hell.

What could be more hell like than being forced to remain in the arena for all eternity, haunted by all the tributes who have died before. Then another thought hits me.

Maybe I'm not the only one left alive.

I slowly, painfully scramble to my feet, and cautiously begin to walk among the fallen tributes. The ground is red with blood, and the grass is ripped up from the conflict. I remember one cannon...Suzan's cannon, so I know at least she is dead. But I fell unconscious before any other cannons. I glance at Champion's mutilated skull, and look away quickly. There's no way he's still alive, I can see part of his brain through his smashed skull. I feel like throwing up. I carefully walk around him and see Troy and Burk. Burk's eyes are wide open with his neck twisted at a horrific angle. Troy's shirt has been ripped practically off his body, and I can see his torso is covered in black and purple marks, dreadfully swollen.

I walk over and carefully place my fingers to his neck, feeling for a pulse. His skin is cold, and his heart is still. I see blood on his lips and I know he had internal injuries. I am still in my numb state, so I slowly stand up and move over to Patricia. Her heart is silent as well, and I can see the dent in the back of her skull.

Troy, Patricia, Champion, Burk, Suzan, they're all dead. I walk over to where I was when I woke up, and I see Melinda's sprawled form, blood soaking her shirt. It doesn't take me long to confirm that she died from Champion's spear. I look around for the remaining two tributes; Steel and Ruby.

They seemed to have strayed a little from the clearing, and I find them both lying very still, Steel's body sprawled on top of Ruby's. I hesitate before gripping Steel's shoulders and rolling him off of Ruby. I scream in surprise as his eyes snap open and he gasps.

"Steel!"

His eyes flutter for a moment before he says hoarsely.

"Mags?"

I take his hand in mine tightly and brush the hair out of his face. Feeling my stomach drop as I see the horrible slits in his shirt that are surrounded by blood. He's missing half of his left ear, and blood covers that side of his face and neck. His brows furrow as he turns his head back towards the clearing and says in a hushed voice.

"Mel..."

I shake my head slowly, feeling emotion begin to return to my body. He nods slowly, and takes a deep breath, tears leaking from his eyes.

"The others."

I shake my head again.  
"All gone."

He coughs and I wince as blood begins to leak from his mouth.

"Are you...badly wounded?"

I am bleeding from several flesh wounds, and my back still aches, I feel a little faint from all the blood I lost, but I don't feel like I'm dying.

"I...I think I'm okay."

He nods and smiles just ever so slightly.

"See? Told...you...you would win..."

He coughs again and winces as he spits some blood on the ground. I shake my head, biting my lip and saying defiantly.

"No, I'm not you're going to be fine."

He shakes his head, still smiling.

"No Mags...I'm not. I have to...watch over Melinda."

He shifts slightly as he says the words in a tight voice, I can see he's in a lot of pain.

I jump suddenly as I hear a feeble cough beside me, and I turn to see Ruby's eyes flutter open. She has multiple puncture wounds as well, and one of Steel's knives is still buried in her shoulder. I temporarily forget Steel as I ease over to Ruby's side, and pull the knife out of her shoulder slowly. She lets out a small whimper of pain, and I see the darkness has left her. What I see before me now is just a scared girl.

"Go ahead...what are you waiting for?"

She gasps, her eyes are tired, sad, but still have a glint of defiance in them. I hold the knife over her heart, and grip it with both hands. Her breath is coming in short gasps, and she bends her neck back slightly, closing her eyes.

"I know...you want to."

I do want to, I tighten my grip on the knife, and focus on her, thinking of her killing Will, she killed Milo, she killed innocent children. She deserves to die, I should drive my knife into her heart, and I should enjoy watching the life leave her. Suddenly I see Will's face in my mind, his sparkling blue eyes, his bouncing black curls and his childish grin. He didn't change...not when he was reaped, when he was in the arena, not even when he died.

I lower my arm and drop the knife on the ground, suddenly feeling drained. Ruby opens her eyes and frowns in confusion.

"What are you doing?"

I shake my head.

"I'm not going to kill you."

She's avoiding my eyes, staring to the side of me as she gasps.

"Why? I killed your little brother."

I nod slowly.

"I know, which exactly why I can't kill you. He wouldn't want me to."

Ruby shakes her head.

"I don't understand."

I give her a small smile.  
"That's because you didn't know Will. He would never wish someone bad fortune, no matter how evil they were. He would tell me that we don't know what made them that way, we don't know what they've been through, and they don't deserve more suffering, no matter how horrible they are. See, he understood that even the worst of people have a reason for being that way, he knows that they've been through something terrible, and so he gives them a smile, knowing that no one else will."

I pause and take a deep breath.

"Even though you killed him, he wouldn't wish you dead, and he's going to be waiting for you with open arms and a smile on his face, because that's who he is."

I look down and see that Ruby has tears streaming down her cheeks, and I feel proud that Will can make even the person with the coldest heart cry. She finally meets my gaze, and her voice is broken and full of gentleness as she says quietly.

"I'm sorry."

I can't help being surprised as she continues.

"I'm sorry for taking him away from you, he didn't deserve to die, the world needs more people like him in it. I'm sorry I put you through so much hell, and I'm sorry for all the horrible things I've done."

She sniffs and more tears run down her face as she continues.

"Will..."

Her voice breaks as she says his name, and her shoulders shake as she sobs.

"Will said something to me when I stabbed him...he looked me right in the eye and said; I'm sorry."

She shakes her head as she sobs.

"Why did he say that? I don't deserve anyone's pity, he should have hated me."

She takes a deep breath and calms down slightly.

"It's because he could see through me, he could see the real me. No one has ever cared for me like he did. And I killed him."

I glance over at Steel and see he has tears on his cheeks as well, silently listening to our conversation. Ruby reaches for my hand and holds it tightly as she says quietly.

"Please forgive me."

I nod slowly.

"Mags, I want you to know the truth...I know it won't make a difference now, but I want you to know what Will saw in me."

She takes a deep breath and starts slowly.

"I have no family, my mother was punished for sleeping around by getting pregnant, the father was someone important in my District, and he couldn't afford the disgrace of a child born of adultery. He had my mother killed, and I was thrown into the community home, he didn't know I had been born. I was ten years old when I was found out by him, the community home was ordered to cast me out, and I was thrown into the streets, forced to find food and shelter while hiding from the peacekeepers. Eventually I grew older, and people began to notice me..."

She took a deep breath and shuddered.

"I didn't know I was beautiful, I had no mirror, no brush or comb, no clothes except for rags. Most of the time I was covered in dirt, but one day I was walking along the street when a peacekeeper stopped me. I was terrified that he would know who I was and kill me, but he just smiled this horrible smile and stared at me. He said a pretty thing like me shouldn't be covered in rags, and that he would get me a nice dress if I would...give him something in return."

I shudder at the haunted look in her eyes, knowing what the vile man wanted. She sniffed and closed her eyes.

"I had no choice but to do as he asked...he threatened to report me. So I did what he asked, and sure enough he got me a beautiful dress. I cleaned myself up and put on the dress, he pulled me in front of a mirror and for the first time...I was beautiful. I felt like for the first time in my life, I had power. I walked out of his house and through the streets of the lower town. I turned many heads, and it made me feel like for once in my life, I wasn't a nobody. Later I was pulled aside by a man who said he could give me a job, one that would bring me enough money to live on, and that wouldn't require much...I didn't realize what exactly the job was, but I found out soon enough."

She winced slightly and shifted.

"I was fourteen years old...I was just a girl that looked like a woman, but my 'customers' didn't care about my age. The vile men just cared that I was beautiful and I came cheep. I started to train in secret, watching the games every year, and hoping for my chance..."

She looks at me with tears in her eyes.

"I thought...if I could win, I wouldn't need to live that way anymore...I could be free. I would be popular, and have power. I would never be forced to do anything again."

She laughed bitterly.  
"I guess I still get my wish."

Then she shudders violently and gasps.  
"I...I'm scared Mags..."

I shake my head and brush some hair off her forehead.

"Don't be scared Ruby...those men can never hurt you again."

She looks relieved and lets out a sigh. Steel reaches over and slides his hand into hers.

"You're free."

He says quietly. She turns her head and looks at him.

"Will...you forgive me?"

He nods and she lets out a final sigh, her face peaceful as she closes her eyes and the cannon sounds. I feel strangely sad as her hand goes limp in mine. But I take a deep breath and turn my attention back to Steel, I can see by the film over his eyes that he doesn't have long.

"Mags...would you do me a favor?"

I nod slowly.

"Will you do all you can to look after Melinda's family? I know you probably can't do anything but..."

I hold his free hand tightly.

"I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure they are alright."

He smiles.

"Thank you."

He coughs and more blood slides down his face.

"Mags?"

I fight the panic in my voice as I say.

"Yes?"

He takes a deep breath and meets my gaze.

"I'll look after Will."

I feel a sob choke in my throat as his head goes limp and his cannon sounds. I stare in shock at him, then slowly I close his eyes and stand up. I walk a few feet before stopping, feeling like I've been physically halted. I turn my head slowly, and look at all the blood, the bodies of my friends, and fellow tributes. I wonder about the other careers, if they were forced into behaving evil like Ruby, spurred on by desperation.

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

I jump slightly as I hear Estevan Gypsy's voice echo throughout the arena.

"I am proud to announce this years victor! The lady of the sea! Mags Flint from District Four!"

I feel a sudden grip of panic close in on me, as my entire life in the arena flashes before my eyes and I finally snap under the stress and mental strain the arena has brought on me.

I feel all of my emotions and suppressed feelings well up inside me, building into a hurricane as I lift my face towards the sky, and let it all out in a scream that rips through the trees, filling the entire arena with its echoes. The scream scares me, I've never heard anything like it before, it sounds so broken so...inhuman. It frightens me that it is coming from me, but I can't stop it, I continue to scream until there is nothing but that terrible sound, and then blackness.

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**Authors note: Okay feel free to hate all you want in a review :P (although I would prefer non hate reviews!)  
**

**I think I'm going to give this story two more chapters, get it to a nice even 30, and then if you guys want I'll write a sequel about her life after the games. It will basically be about how she copes with everything, maybe a few chapters on her victory tour...and some things revealed to her that only makes her hate of the capitol grow. She finds out a little secret about Dash as well ;) **

**I bet you all are DYING to know which ship I am going to sail, and to find out you'll have to read the sequel! Bahahahah! :)**

**Anyway! Please let me know what you think! Review button is just down there \/ love you guys!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Hey guys!**

**So the last chapter was depressing huh? Yeah, I thought so too. Good news is I don't think it's going to get any worse...for now. Granted the next couple chapters aren't going to be all rainbows and sunshine, but there will be happiness later on, bear with me on this one.**

**Coming up we are going to see Mags return to the Capitol for all that fun victor stuff, throughout the whole ordeal we will be seeing how she deals with everything she's been through, and how different people help her to cope. After the Capitol she will return home to what remains of her family and Felix! Yay! (I really love Felix!) and I hope you guys will like him more once you see more of him. He hasn't really gotten much face time has he? Oh well, I am going to remedy that situation.**

**So here's the chapter, and as always reviews are much appreciated and humbly asked for! Later Hamiltons!**

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**Chapter Twenty-nine: The new me.**

The scream that ripped out of me still reverberates around the arena as I run from tribute to tribute, begging them to get up, sobbing in horror at all the blood. Deep down I know that they are all gone, already passed into whatever awaits beyond the veil, but somehow I can't accept that, I _won't!_

"Steel please!"

I beg, shaking his cold body.

"You have to help me through this! I can't do this by myself!"

He remains still and lifeless, his face almost peaceful. I think of all the moments he helped me so much with just the simplest of gestures. A calm hand gently placed over mine, a rare smile when I needed it the most, a firm word to make me see what was best, and the faith he had in me, the trust. It's all gone now, and I'm left with his cold body.

"I...I don't know what to do."

I say quietly, sinking to my knees and staring down at the blood I'm covered in. My friends blood. My mind reels and I am confronted by the memory of holding my dying brother in my arms, his blood staining the ground and me. I scream and force the image away by digging my nails into my skin, and raking them down my arm. The pain forces my mind into the presence, and I stare at the blood seeping out of the claw marks.

I slowly push myself onto my feet and walk slowly backwards from Steel and Ruby's bodies, tripping over Champion's arm and landing next to his crushed skull. I scream and back away as fast as I can, slipping in a puddle of Suzan's blood and landing with a squelch on my back.

"No!"

I scream, struggling to sit up, my arms sliding uselessly in the blood. I cover my ears with my hands and squeeze my eyes shut tight, willing myself not to think about the stickiness on my face. I lay there panting, focusing on my breathing. In, out, in, out.

Suddenly my ears pick up on another sound, and I force my eyes open, seeing the metal hovercraft suspended above me, I scream and slide through the blood to firmer ground, standing up and looking around desperately for a way to escape.

"No! Leave me alone!"

I run over to Troy's body and cling to the tattered remains of his shirt, panic coursing through my veins.

"Troy please don't let them take me! Don't make me go back there!"

He refuses to answer me, to move, to do anything but lay there and remain dead. I glance back at the hovercraft and my eyes widen in horror as a ladder descends, bearing around half a dozen men in white suits. My crazed mind warps them into some sort of Capitol mutt, and I scream in panic, standing up and bolting towards the forest.

"Don't let her get away!"

I hear one of them shout, the sound twisting into a rough growl in my ears. I am about to reach the treeline, when I hear another growl behind me.  
"Drop her!"

I feel a searing pain in my left shoulder, and my body instantly falls to the ground, convulsing painfully as I vomit what little food I had in my stomach onto the ground. After the convulsions stop, I'm left slowly writhing on the forest floor, gasping raggedly as I struggle to breathe normally. My heart feels like a hammer against my ribs.

The men stand over me, one of them holding a still sparking contraption in one hand. I hate myself for surviving through all of the horrors in the arena, only to be stopped by a taser. The men grab me and drag me after them towards the hovercraft. I regain control over my limbs enough to move them feebly, but before I can retaliate, the men force me to grip the ladder, and I feel my entire body freeze. I'm hauled swiftly into the hovercraft, where there are many more men and women dressed in white, all wielding terrifying looking metal instruments. The second the ladder releases me, I scream and back away from them all.

"Stay away from me!"

I scream at them, my voice sounding sharp and grating, almost like an animal. They hesitate for a moment, eyeing me warily. I sob and feel my back come in contact with something smooth and cool. I turn around and see that it's the side of the hovercraft, the metal polished to being reflective. I feel my heart stop in fear at what I see.

An emaciated wild creature stares back at me with wide, filmy green eyes. Something that could have once been blond hair, covers the head in a wild mess, greasy and matted with blood and dirt. The body looks like a skeleton, bones sticking out horribly, covered in blood, dirt, and sweat. It barely resembles a human anymore, it looks more like an animal, like a mutt.

I sink to the floor in front of the reflection, reaching a hand forward and pressing it against the metal as if to convince myself that it's really just a reflection, and not some horrible trick. For a moment I am completely numb, shocked beyond the ability to think. Then I let out a long shriek.

"What am I?!"

Strong arms grab hold of my shoulders, and I instinctively jump, whirling around and slamming both of my hands into whatever attacked me. A man goes sailing across the hovercraft, looking completely shocked. Despite my emaciated state, I'm stronger than I was before, and my reactions are ten times faster. I feel a sharp needle stab my arm, and I kick that doctor across the hovercraft as well. I pull the syringe out of my arm, and stare dumbly at it as my senses disappear and I crumple into a heap.

* * *

_"My dear, don't you look...wretched."_

_Horrid laughing follows the comment, and I suddenly snap open my eyes and look around the small cabin, whimpering at the voice._

_"Oh aren't you just savage? Don't worry, I know how to deal with animals!"_

_It's him! I know it is. Where is he? Why can't I ever see his face?_

_"Who are you?!"_

_I scream at the empty room. The laughter sounds out again, and I cringe, scooting back until my back rests against the wall. I fold my legs up to my chest and bury my face into my knees, sobbing as I hear the voice draw closer._

_"You know who I am Magarida! Deep inside you keep me locked away, I'm inside your mind! You'll never forget me no matter how hard you try!"_

_I scream as loud as I can, the sound ripping out of me painfully. The windows in the cabin shatter and the laughter disappears._

I sit bolt upright and gasp, my body trembling in a cold sweat. I blink several times and look around confused at the white room I am currently in. I'm lying on a bed, wearing a pair of white shorts and a tank top. There's several machines hooked up to me by tubes sticking out of my arms. I narrow my eyes as I struggle to find my thoughts.

The arena. Will. The Rivals. I am the victor.

All of these hit me like a tsunami and I gasp as my breath leaves my body. It takes me a moment to recover, and once I do, I take a deep breath and force myself to calm down. I grope for the tube sticking in my arm, and once I find it I rip the needle out and toss it aside. I repeat this four times, and then my arms are free. I slide my feet off the bed and stand up shakily. How long has it been since I stood up? It feels like years.

I walk over to the wall, and search for the door, finally my hand lands on the knob and I twist it savagely. I hadn't realized I was leaning my weight against the door until it swung open and I fell forward. Before I can think my arms snap forward and I catch myself in a push-up position. My arms tremble with the pressure of supporting my body, and I slowly manage to stand up.

"Mags!"

My head snaps in the direction of the voice, and my eyes widen in surprise as I see three people, two are obviously doctors in their white clothes. The other... I don't know how to react, I never thought I'd see this person again, I don't know if I really wanted to. The games rush through my mind in a split second, and I decide to react like I have been with everything. Go with instinct.

"Dash!"

I scream the name, my voice still rough, but it sounds more normal. I run towards him, my legs gaining confidence and speed as I close the distance between us. He smiles, a mixture of relief and pain on his face. My mind is racing faster with every step I take, building up all the emotion that instinctively rushes to my mind as I look at him.

He's stopped in the hallway, and the doctors have disappeared, through a door or just to the side of the hall I don't know, I can only see Dash. He braces himself for impact and opens his arms wide. His expression changes into confusion as I slam as hard as I can into him, knocking him off his feet and onto the floor. I'm sitting on his chest in an instant, my nails raking down his neck and ripping his shirt as I screech.

"YOU KILLED HIM!"

He cries out in pain as my nails draw blood, and he struggles to grab me. His large, strong hands finally close around my wrists, completely circling my slender bones. I wrench against his grip, screaming as I push against his strength, my nails stretching for his face.

"YOU KILLED WILL! YOU KILLED HIM!"

The screams rip from my throat without hesitation, as I feel hate burning in my eyes. He tries to stand, but I manage to get my legs onto his chest and lean all my weight on my knees, digging them into his ribcage. He gasps as the air is pressed from his lungs.

"Mags please...I couldn't do anything. You have to-"

I cut him off by pressing harder into his chest.  
"No! You lied to me! You told me you would keep him safe!"

I feel a several strong hands grip my shoulders and yank me off of Dash. He gasps and coughs several times as he sits up weakly. Several large men dressed in black have me held between them, having to hold me with all their strength as I struggle to break free.

"You promised! I was never supposed to be here!"

He faces me, tears streaming down his cheeks.  
"Mags I'm so sorry..."

"No! You betrayed me! I will _never_ trust you again!"

The words hurt him worse than the scratches that are bleeding on his chest. I can see in his eyes that I've broken his heart. Good. Now we're even. The two men start to drag me back to my room, and I laugh insanely.

"You may think you saved me, but you're wrong!"

I scream over my shoulder, I twist my head around and manage to look into his eyes.  
"I died with Will in the arena, Dash...you killed me when you refused to save Will!"

His head drops as I am dragged into my room, one of the men holding me down on the bed while the other attaches restraints on my arms and legs. A doctor comes in and quickly injects something into my neck, I immediately feel the effects as my body becomes limp, and I relax onto the bed. The doctor says something as he reattached the IV's into my arms, and checks my restraints. I ignore him, seething inwardly at him, this room, Dash, the Capitol, everything.

Curse everything. Why couldn't they have just let me die?

I don't know how long I'm in the hospital for, but it feels like I've always been there. They have me taking some sort of light blue pill once a day. It makes me feel...different. I don't know what it is, but I'm forced to remain calm all the time. It cuts off my emotions and leaves me feeling like a zombie. Or a ditz...I don't know the difference. All I know is that I can't seem to _feel _anything. I just sit around in my room and wait for them to bring me my medicine and meals. Soon I see the color return to my skin, and I fill out some. Finally I have someone come and tell me something about being moved. I just do what they tell me and soon I find myself facing a familiar looking building that seems like I saw it years ago.

I am escorted to the fourth floor, and then left standing in front of the elevator. I look around the front room of the floor I called home in the training center. And I feel something...a twinge of emotion deep down. Pain, sadness, loss.

"Mags!"

A shrill squeal brings my gaze towards the entrance to the bedroom hallway. Pixie looks the same as always. Same yellow hair, fuchsia flower tattooed arms and neck, and same bright smile. For some reason, I actually feel happy to see her.

"Pixie."

The name sounds strange to my ears. I realize I haven't spoken a word in days. She runs over and grips me in a tight hug, tears causing a wet spot on my shoulder.

"Oh dear! You don't know how wonderful it is to see you!"

She sounds sincerely overjoyed, and I can hear the happiness through her sobs.

"I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you! I really am ecstatic to see you darling, but I'm so sorry that it is you..."

She trails off, and I know what she means. She is glad to see me, but she sorry for me because she knows I wanted it...I needed it to be Will here instead. I'm touched by her concern over me, and so far she hasn't mentioned anything a normal Capitolite would. Like how wonderful I was in the games, what was it like being in there? And how exciting the whole thing was.

"I can't believe how horrid it was! I swear I didn't enjoy one second of it! Will shouldn't have been in there, it was wrong to kill that poor boy!"

She claps both hands over her mouth the instant the exclamation is out of her mouth. She looks around to see if anyone overheard, and then clears her throat.

"I mean...Ruby was wrong to kill him. He would have won if it wasn't for her."

She's covered up nicely. If anyone had heard her statement, it would be counted as treason against the Capitol. She outright accused them of murdering Will, she admitted that the games were wrong. Maybe some good has come of these games. We've proven to a Capitolite that this is wrong. That in itself is a small victory.

"You poor thing! You must be tired and drained beyond explanation!"

I shrug.

"Not really...they have me taking these pills."

Pixie frowns, and takes a closer look at me.

"Mags, can I see the pills please?"

I obediently hand the bottle to her, and after quickly scanning the label she gasps and puts a hand to her mouth.

"Oh you poor girl..."

For once, her voice isn't a chirp, and she actually sound...normal? There was no Capitol accent. I don't have time to think about this as she shoves the bottle into her pocket and hooks her arm in mine.

"Come along, you are going to your room and sleeping off those horrid drugs!"

I follow her down the hallway, and my eyes linger on Will's bedroom door as she opens mine and steers me inside. She rummages through my dresser and pulls out a pair of fluffy pajama pants and a soft tank top. She puts the clothes in my arms and then raises her eyebrow.  
"I want you to get changed and relax you hear? Take a shower, take a nap, I don't care but you are going to stay in here until those drugs are out of your system. Alright?"

I nod and she smiles, giving me a quick peck on the cheek.  
"Good girl! I'll check up on you every couple of hours, and send in some dinner around six."

She clips in her high heels out into the hall and shuts the door behind her. I stare down at the soft clothes, and decide to take a shower. I walk into the bathroom and stare in the full length mirror. I look more like myself now that my hair has been washed and combed. I've gained weight, still not quite what I was before the games, but not near as thin as when I first got out. How long ago was that I wonder?

My eyes are still missing their luster, looking back at me with a dull green stare. I pull my shirt off, and am about to take my pants off, when I notice the scars on my arm. I trace the different marks with my fingertips, remembering where each one is from. My hand trails down to my waist, where a scar circles my torso just above my hips. This scar was from the rope that caught Will when he slipped on the cliff. Will...

I suddenly can't breathe, and my knees give out under me. I fall forward, my hands catching my fall on the shower panel. Ice cold water begins to rain softly down on me, accompanied by the soft smell of cocoanut. I slide down the shower wall and sit on the cool tile, bringing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms tightly around my legs. Tear run down my cheeks as I re-live the horrors of the arena. Facing the worse horror of a life without Will.

I'm not sure how long I've been sitting there when I hear the door to the bathroom open. I can't bring myself to look up, just staring into space as my body shivers slightly. Whoever is there just stands at the door for a long moment, and then slowly walks over to the shower. I see a pair of black shoes...mens shoes.

I know who it is, but I don't care.

Dash steps into the shower, and slides down beside me, his jeans and white shirt growing more soaked by the second. I can just see his profile from the corner of my eye. He doesn't say anything, just sits there beside me, and in spite of myself, I am grateful for his company.

"Are you cold?"

He asks gently, with more tenderness in his voice than I've ever heard before. I just nod slightly, and he presses a button. The temperature changes to a relaxing warmth, just hot enough to keep me warm. The ocean feels this way. We sit in silence for a while, and then I start talking automatically.

"He's gone Dash."

He nods.

"I couldn't save him."

He turns to look at me, his arms resting casually on his bent knees.

"It wasn't your fault."

I slowly turn and meet his soft gray eyes. I shake my head.

"It wasn't my fault."

He nods in agreement. I take a deep breath.

"It wasn't your fault either."

He looks surprised.

"There was nothing anyone could have done..."

I now realize this, and it gives me more peace than the most powerful drug ever could. He doesn't say anything, but just stares at the tile floor of the shower. I stare into space as everything slowly starts to sink in. Admitting that Dash wasn't to blame for Will's death has opened the door for everything I've experienced in the games to finally sink in. And the realization that Will is gone forever stabs me through the heart.

"He's gone..."

I repeat, more to myself than to Dash. He's looking at me, his light brown hair sticking to his head in slight curls from the water. I meet his gaze and let out a small strangled sob.

"He's not coming back."

Dash slowly lifts his hand, and brushes my wet hair out of my face. As his fingertips graze my skin, I close my eyes as a warm shiver flushes down my back. My mind drifts off, and there is nothing but this moment, this time right here. It doesn't matter what happened, it doesn't matter what will happen tomorrow. There is only Dash, and me, in this moment together. And right now I need comfort, I need someone to tell me that everything will be alright, I need someone to help protect me from everything I've been through, and everything I have to face in the future.

I open my eyes and slide closer to him, his arms automatically wrap around me and I bury my face in his wet shoulder, clinging tightly to his wet shirt. His arms are circled around me tightly, holding me close to him with a firm, yet gentle, desperation. One of his hands is resting on my shoulder, the other on my hip. I draw my legs closer to me, and he slides me onto his lap, holding me tightly. He buries his face into my wet hair and I can feel his lips gently resting on my neck.  
"It's going to be alright Mags...I'm here."

I nod into his shoulder, sniffing loudly as tears mingle with the water on my cheeks. Dash very slowly moves the hand on my shoulder up to my neck, and carefully pulls my hair all over one shoulder. His fingertips caress the gentle curve of my neck, sending shivers down my back. I lift my head and meet his gaze, our faces just inches apart. We stare into each others eyes for a minute, then he very slowly leans forward. I hesitate before tilting my head back ever so slightly.

His lips just brush mine, he's hesitant, moving cautiously, not knowing how I'll react. I stand perfectly still, letting him figure me out.

"Dash..."  
I murmur softly, and by just saying his name he can hear what I can't form into words, that I need him right now, I need someone who understands...I need a victor. All that is said in that one little word, and he knows what to do.

His hand slides quickly up my neck to the back of my head, his fingers twisting in my hair as he pulls me forward and presses his lips against mine. I slide one of my hands around his neck, the other one resting on his chest. This kiss is different than the few we've shared before. This one is much more passionate, as each of us opens up and lets all of our pain and emotion flow into the kiss, leaving ourselves completely vulnerable to the other. We've both been in the arena, we've both seen things no one should live through. And in this moment, we share that pain with each other.

I suddenly remember I'm only wearing a bra as Dash's hand slides down my back, sending tingles down my spine with his soft touch, his fingertips barely brushing my skin. My hands move to the front of his shirt and quickly undo the buttons, I place my hands on his bare chest and slide his wet shirt off his shoulders, he wraps his arms tightly around me and pulls me up against his chest. I slide my hands over his well toned torso and wrap my arms around his neck. He pulls his face away slightly, and I'm about to say something when his mouth lands on my cheek, trailing soft kisses down my jaw line and then my neck. I tilt my head back to give him more room and curl my fingers in his hair. Then moving my hands over his chest, shoulders and back, feeling a long scar on the left side of his spine.

"Mags..."

He murmurs against my neck, suddenly growing still. I pull back slightly and look at him confused.

"Yes?"  
His hands are resting lightly on my hips, while mine are one his shoulders. He avoids eye contact with me, staring at my neck as his fingertips slowly move up and down my side.

"I...I can't."

I frown, sliding one of my hands around the back of his neck.  
"What?"

He shakes his head and lets out a heavy sigh.  
"I can't do...this. Not with you."

I feel an ache in my chest as I nod slowly, my hands sliding off his shoulders and landing in my lap.  
"Oh..."

I say, unable to keep my voice from breaking. Why did he let it go that far then? He could have just said something. Maybe he didn't want to hurt me by rejecting me. Maybe he knew how much I needed someone who understood. But he still should have just told me. It's much worse this way.

"Well...maybe you should leave then..."

He shakes his head, frustration on his face as his hands tighten slightly on my hips.  
"No. It's...it's not like that Mags,"

I can see intense struggle in his eyes as he finally meets my gaze.

"You're beautiful, and strong, funny, confident, hell you're every mans dream. But...I just can't do this with you."

I nod, swallowing hard, fighting the tears.  
"I understand...I won't bother you again."

I quickly move off of him and stand up, pushing my wet hair out of my face as my face turns red. I'm such an idiot. How could I do this to him? I practically forced myself at him, I just needed _someone, so badly_, that I didn't even think about him. I know he did like me once...but a lot has happened since then, and I wasn't exactly throwing myself at him when we were together last...quite the opposite in fact.

"Mags please!"

I hear him stand up and follow me out into the spacious bathroom, his hand lands gently on my arm and he turns me around.  
"I'm sorry Dash...I shouldn't have put you in that situation. It was selfish of me...and arrogant to think that you still..."

He shakes his head, rubbing the back of his hand down my cheek.  
"No Mags...I shouldn't have let it get that far. And I'm the one who should be apologizing."

His hand lingers on my cheek as he says softly.  
"I love you Mags. I think I have since that first snarky comment."

For a moment I can't breathe, a thousand thoughts rush through my mind at once, to jumbled to make sense of even one.

"But I...I can't."

I bite my lip, feeling the tears well in my eyes.

"Why not? Is something wrong with me?"

He shakes his head quickly.

"No, you're perfect...which is why I can't."

He takes a deep breath, and runs his hands through his wet hair.

"Mags...you would regret it."

I open my mouth to protest, but he quickly holds a finger to my lips and continues.

"You will...trust me. I can't do that to you, I care about you too much."

He takes a deep breath, and I can see tears in his eyes as well as he struggles with what he has to say next.

"What we have...it can't ever come to anything. I know that now. Mags, you love Felix, more than you could ever love me. And I know he loves you more than you could ever imagine. You are meant for each other, you were meant to get married, and have a family. I can never have that with you."

The tears flood over my eyelids and run silently down my cheeks. He wipes them away with his thumb and gives me a sad smile.  
"Mags...I want to be with you more than anything, but I love you too much to be selfish..."

A tear runs down his right cheek as he inhales shakily, what he says next is barely a whisper.  
"I have to let you go."

I sob and wrap my arms around him tightly. Burying my face in his chest. I cry because I know he's right, I know that if it had gone any further I would have regretted it. Everything he said was true, and it hurts so much to know that I've hurt him like this.

"I will always be here for you Mags."

He lightly kisses the top of my head, and then I feel his muscles tense.

"Mags...I need to tell you something."

He rubs my back slightly and suddenly walks into the bedroom.  
"Get changed into some dry clothes...I'll wait out here."

He closes the door, leaving me standing confused and dripping in the bathroom. I quickly change into the pajamas Pixie picked out for me, using the automatic hair dryer to leave my hair in a soft glossy curtain. I walk into the bedroom, stopping and looking around at the empty room.

"Dash?"

I look to the door as it opens and Dash walks in wearing a pair of grey sweat pants and a form-fitting white T-shirt.

"Sorry, I went to change."

I nod, noticing that his hair is now dry and fluffy, lying in its usual waves around his head. He motions to the bed and I sit on the edge of it. He joins me, twisting his fingers nervously.

"I...I've never told anyone this before..."

He clears his throat and his knee starts to bounce nervously. I reach forward and carefully take his hand in mine. He calms down and takes a deep breath.

"A few years after I won...I was called to the Capitol. They said it was for a party..."

I give his hand a gentle squeeze as he trails off.

"Anyway, once I arrived the President himself summoned me. I couldn't say no, so I met with him. He told me that I had been attracting lots of attention in the Capitol, and he gave me a proposition."

He broke off, his eyes haunted as he stares at the floor.

"I would visit the Capitol whenever I was called, and while I was here I would...entertain women."

I can't help the gasp that escapes my lips, and I cover my mouth with my hand quickly.

"They had to pay...heavily. But as long as they got what they wanted they didn't care. I became nothing more than a toy, sold to the highest bidder to do with as they pleased. Then I was back on display, waiting for the next customer."

I slide closer to him, and rest my head on his shoulder.

"I was...seventeen, when I got my first summons."

He shudders.

"It's hard to think that was only three years ago...it feels like a lifetime."

I wrap my arms around him and hold him tightly. All of the vague things he said before the games now make sense. He's being used by the Capitol, he's a love slave.

"I...I've tried to stop, but they won't let me."

He chokes out, resting his forehead against my shoulder.

"They threatened to kill Pearl...the President said if I ever tried anything he would force me to watch her die."

I feel a stab of pain as I remember watching the life leave Will, and I would never wish that on someone, no matter how evil they are.

"Dash I'm so sorry...I had no idea."

He sniffs and wipes his cheeks off with a bitter laugh.

"Still think I'm this way because I like it?"

He turns and meets my gaze.

"I was forced to change who I am, to be molded into the perfect Capitol boy-toy, so that I would have no problem bringing in business."

He sighs and places his hand over mine.  
"Mags...I'm worried...terrified that you face the same fate."

My eyes widen and my jaw drops.  
"What? I...I can't do that..."

He brushes a strand of hair out of my face.

"I desperately hope that I am just being paranoid...I would do anything to keep you away from that."

I feel my breath coming in short gasps and I swallow the lump in my throat.  
"What do you tell your family?"

He shrugs.  
"That I have been invited to another party, or interview. The Capitol always covers up the true reason why I'm there."

I shudder at the thought of what he goes through, and feel sick thinking that I may face the same fate.

"You have at least until after the victory tour...by that time you'll be almost eighteen. If you're called at all."  
He adds quickly. The fear evident in his voice. I take a deep breath and close my eyes.  
"I'll be fine Dash, whatever happens to me. Promise me you wont blame yourself?"

He nods slowly. Then wraps his arms tightly around me, holding me in a warm embrace.

"I will do everything I can to keep you safe."

"Thank you."

He smiles and brushes his fingertips down my cheek.  
"You should get some sleep. The victory interview is tomorrow evening, and I'm afraid we can't put it off any longer."

I frown.

"How long has it been postponed?"

He thinks for a minute.  
"Well it's been about a week since you were retrieved from the arena."

My eyebrows shoot up.  
"A week?"

He nods.  
"Okay...I guess I'll try to get some sleep."

He smiles and plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Goodnight Mags."

He stands up and walks out of my room, quietly closing the door behind me. I think for a while about the information Dash has just given me. I may be forced into prostitution by the Capitol? Would they really kill my family? I shudder. Anyone evil enough to send innocent children to their deaths, wouldn't bat an eye at forcing a young girl into being a prostitute. I crawl underneath the cool sheets of my bed, and rest my head on the pillow, trying not to think about that last time I slept in this bed...Will was with me. I held him tightly and told him not to worry. Everything will be alright...

* * *

I sit bolt upright in bed with a scream, my body trembling and covered in cold sweat. I whimper and hold my hands over my ears, trying to block out the sounds of the screams I heard in my dream, the screams of Will...Dash...my family.

I push the covers off and quietly exit my room, padding down the hall in my bare feet until I reach the door to Dash's bedroom. I hesitate, then twist the knob and creep inside, silently closing the door behind me. I walk over to the bed and pause as I look down at Dash. He's laying with one arm under his pillow, the other resting across his side. The sheets are tangled in his legs slightly, and only reach his waist. He's breathing deeply, his chest rising and falling steadily.

I struggle whether or not to wake him, but then I hear a sound and my hand instantly lands on his shoulder. I give him a gentle shake.

"Dash."  
He props himself up on one elbow and rubs his eyes quickly.  
"Mags? What's the matter, are you alright?"

I nod, then slowly shake my head.

"I...I had a nightmare..."

He nods sympathetically and looks around with his eyebrows drawn together sleepily.

"Do you want to sleep here?"

I nod and he slides back, allowing me to crawl into bed. He pulls the covers up over us and lies back on his pillow.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He mumbles sleepily. I shake my head.

"Could you just...make sure I'm safe?"

I don't know how else to put it, but he seems to understand what I mean as he pulls me closer to him and wraps his arms around me. I rest my head on his chest and close my eyes, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Goodnight Mags...I'll always be here for you."

"You said that already."

He slowly rubs his hand against my back.

"Well I mean it."

I close my eyes, and feel unconsciousness slowly sinking in.  
"I know you will."

* * *

**Authors Note: So that's to all of you Mags/Dash shippers out there, hope you like it! I had to wrap some things up in this chapter since the next is the last one for this story...I needed to explain that Dash was in a "Finnick" situation with the Capitol, and that his and Mags complications got smoothed out. Originally I was going to have her hold her grudge a TON longer, like for years. But I decided this would work better for the story.  
**

**Anyway! Next chapter will be pretty long, we'll be going through the crowning ceremony, victory interview, and then the arrival back home! Yay! I hope this chapter kind of leaves you with questions...like "What's up with Pixie?" "Does this mean Mags and Dash still have a shot at a relationship?" "Will Mags be forced to sell herself to protect her family?" And finally, "When is the last chapter/sequel coming out!" Well let's just say that the last chapter should be up soon...like next week or possibly tomorrow! But definitely soon! And then the sequel will be coming out...soonish after that.**

**I'm not sure how long the sequel is going to be, but we are going to see some things cleared up there. Who Mags ends up with, how she copes with the Capitol, and life after the games, you guys will FINALLY find out who that creepy guy is who haunts her dreams, and much more! So it'll be not too short and not too long. After that I'm going to be doing a story about Finnick and Annie's son, it will follow the storyline of the original series, so no reinstated Hunger Games or anything like that. Oh no...this is much worse wahahahahah!**

**I've said too much already! It's late, I babble, blah, blah, blah.**

**So be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think and where you think I'm going to leave it! Love all you Hamiltons!**

**Wendy**


	30. Chapter 30

**Helloooooo everyone!**  
**So this is the last chapter for Underestimated! I know its so sad :( but then I get to start the sequel! Yay!**

**In this chapter I will sort of skim over the crowning ceremony, victory interview and the ride home. It will end after she's been introduced as the victor, and she gets reunited with Felix and her family!**

**I'm so excited! I hope you all are too!**

**Oh! And I think I'm going to partially explain in this chapter why Pixie flipped out so much over the drugs...I don't know we'll see!**

**As always, please be sure to leave a review, they are loved and cherished greatly! (except if they're bad ones!)**

**With that said, I shall keep you waiting no longer!**

* * *

**Chapter Thirty: It's only the beginning.**

"Mags."

The low voice sends a little flush of warmth through me, and I shift slightly, feeling Dash's heart beat beneath me...wait a minute. I open my eyes, blinking the sleep from them as I try to remember what happened last night. My upper body is lying on top of Dash's chest, we're in his bed...together. My eyes go wide and I roll off him, struggling to sit up with the sheets tangled around my legs.

"What the hell happened last night!"

I ask, my sleep filled voice coming out slightly squeaky. Dash's brown waves are sticking up comically, and he looks confused for a minute.  
"You don't remember?..."

I swallow nervously.  
"Was there...anything, to...remember?"

He suddenly realizes what I'm thinking and looks horrified, shaking his head vehemently.  
"No! No! You had a nightmare and were scared...you came in here and asked if you could stay. That's all that happened I swear!"

Relief flooded through me, and I flopped back on the bed.

"Oh good."

I suddenly sit up again, turning to look at him with narrowed eyes.  
"Why would I come in here?"

He looks confused.

"Mags...what's the last thing you remember?"

I frown, thinking hard. What was the last thing I remember?

"Uh...I don't know. What's going on?"

Dash runs his fingers through his hair and swears under his breath.

"Dash what is going on!"

My voice is hinging on desperation now, I don't remember anything!

"Mags I think you've been wiped."

My eyebrows shoot up in surprise.  
"What in the hell is _that _supposed to mean?"

He shakes his head and stands up, pulling the hem of his shirt down to cover his back. It must have gotten hiked up during the night.

"Did they have you taking any medicine in the recovery center? Do you remember taking any pills or shots or anything?"

I rub my forehead as I try to remember, my hair feels tangled.

"I...I don't know...the last thing I remember is..."

My throat tightens and I'm suddenly back in the arena, staring at all the blood...  
"No! Please don't take me back there!"

I sob hysterically, holding my hands over my face as I shake my head.

"Please leave me alone!"

Dash's hands are suddenly on my upper arms, and he starts talking gently.

"Mags, look at me. Come on look at me."

I slowly lower my hands and meet his calm gray eyed gaze.

"You are safe. You don't ever have to go back into the arena. Nothing can hurt you now."

My breathing slows, and I sniff, using the back of my hand to wipe the tears off my cheeks.

"Promise I'm safe?"

He nods.  
"Promise."

He reaches forward and gently brushes the hair out of my face. I gasp as last night comes flooding back, the memories hitting me like a bus. I close my eyes and let the images flash behind my eyelids. Dash and I in the shower, Pixie's break of character, Dash telling me about the Capitol. I open my eyes and suddenly hug him tightly.  
"Dash I'm so sorry! I...I forgot about..."

He pats my hair soothingly.

"It's alright...you remember now."

I release him and rub my temple.

"Pixie...she, she took some pills away from me when I first arrived. She seemed really upset about them."

I didn't mention that at one point her mask was gone, and she spoke without a Capitol accent. Dash nods and his fists clench angrily.  
"So they did give you Cocline..."

I shake my head, feeling unbearably confused.

"What is Cocline?"

He sighs and rubs his eyes.

"It's a drug...created by the Capitol. It produces a very calm state in the user, and if taken long enough it wipes your memories."

I gasp, suddenly feeling violated and tricked.  
"They..they were trying to brainwash me?"

Dash nodded slowly.

"Only to a certain extent. They probably only wanted to take away memories of the games so you wouldn't..."

I nod slowly. So I wouldn't go crazy...at least more than I am.

"So that's why Pixie was so worked up about it. But why should she care? I mean...she's one of them right?"

Dash's face was guarded as he shrugged.  
"I don't know, she's grown attached to you. Maybe she just didn't want you to forget her."

"Yeah...maybe."

I trail off, and then look up as Dash clears his throat. He's standing facing me, scratching the back of his head as he looks around nervously.

"Uh...is something wrong?"

He shakes his head slowly.

"It's just...your prep team should be here soon, and if they found you here..."  
He trails off, but he doesn't need to finish. The gossip would be horrific. I quickly scramble out of his bed and straighten my sleep clothes out.

"Right, my prep team..."

"You'll have the crowning ceremony in a few hours, and then the victory interview."

My eyes light up.

"And then we get to go home right?"

He smiles at my eager expression and nods. I squeal and give him a tight hug.

"I can't wait!"

He gives me a gentle nudge towards the door with a chuckle.

"Go on then, you don't want to keep them waiting."

I give him a little wave as I run out of his room and skip down the hall, I feel like I'm floating. Home! I'll get to see the ocean, dig my toes in the sand, see my family again...I'll see Felix again. My heart flutters as I think about him, and I spin in a circle as I reach the end of the hall. Unfortunately I didn't look where I was going, and I bump into someone.  
"Oops!"

I say, trying to stop the room from spinning. Pixie straightens her dress out with a slightly amused expression.

"What's gotten you so excited?"

I smile brightly.

"I get to go home! I get to see my family again!"

She squeaks in surprise as I throw my arms around her and give her a hug.

"Goodness! You aren't on any other pills I should know about?"

She says teasingly. I release her and shake my head, suddenly growing serious.

"Listen Pixie...thank you for taking the drugs away. I didn't know what I was doing..."

She shakes her head and smooths my hair down.

"Nonsense! They shouldn't have given you the horrid things in the first place."

I hesitate, a million thoughts rushing through my head. Should I ask her? No, I can't do that...can I? I take a deep breath.

"Pixie...I remember when you took the pills away...there was a moment where..."  
I trail off as her eyes warn me to stay silent. Her gaze is intense, fierce almost. She's warning me not to mention what happened.

"Um...there was a moment when I thought you were my mother."

I say, quickly covering up the real reason. She looks relieved and quickly adopts a pitying expression.

"Oh you poor dear!"

She gives me a quick hug, and just before she pulls away, I barely catch her whisper.  
"We'll talk once you're home."

I mask my startled expression and give her a smile.  
"Okay, well...I better go to my room."  
She pats my cheek and chirps.  
"Of course! Can't have you looking like that for the crowning ceremony can we?"

I laugh and shake my head, moving off down the hall to my bedroom. I run inside as I hear the elevator arrive on our floor, and I quickly jump in bed and pretend to be asleep. After about half a minute, the doors burst open and my prep team rushes in, squealing and chattering. I sit up and yawn, giving them a surprised face as they drag me out of bed and all start talking at once.

"Oh dear you were so wonderful in the arena!"

"We all knew you were a victor!"

"Just tragic about your little brother!"

"We're so excited to be your prep team!"

"Wait until you see what Bojo has for you!"

The chatter goes faster and faster and soon I can't take it anymore.

"Stop talking!"

I shout, putting both hands over my ears. They all stop and stare at me in stunned silence. I slowly lower my hands and take a deep breath.  
"Can you please...not talk about the arena?"

Twinkle, her sparkly skin now a pale blue, nods her head and pats my arm sympathetically.

"Of course dear, we know how hard it must be for you."

Niko's single strip of green hair is now standing up in spikes, and he quickly clasps his hands together in a pitying gesture.

"Oh yes! How terrible of us to open fresh wounds."

He moves around behind me and starts muttering under his breath about the state my hair is in. Peggy seems to have gained slightly more weight since the arena, and she no longer resembles a skeleton.  
"Let's talk about how wonderful you are going to look once Bojo and we are done with you!"

They all seem excited about this, and so I listen to them talk about anything and everything fashion for the next three hours. Finally I've been plucked, waxed, scrubbed, washed and preened to perfection, along with having my hair and makeup done. They stand back and admire their work before tossing me a silky white robe and running out of the room to get Bojo. I slip on the robe and sit on the edge of the bed, my skin tingling. I look up as the door opens, and Bojo walks in. He's dressed in simple black pants and short sleeve shirt. The costume pattern tattoos on his arms have reached past his elbow now, reaching the middle of his biceps. His teal hair is slightly longer and styled in waves.

"Hello Mags."

I run forward and give him a hug, feeling tears run down my cheeks.

"It's good to see you again."

He says, pulling away slightly and giving me a small smile. I wipe the tears off my face and nod.  
"It's...good to see you too."

He nods at my hesitation, understanding in his eyes.

"I can't ever tell you how sorry I am...for everything."  
I sniff and nod. For the first time I notice he's holding a garment bag over one shoulder, and I distract myself by poking the bag and asking eagerly.  
"Is that my outfit?"

He smiles and holds up the bag.  
"It is indeed. Do you mind taking off the robe so we can get you into it?"

I take off my robe and his eyes turn sad as he looks over my body.

"The arena has not been kind to you..."

I bite my lip as I look down at my thin, scar covered body. I run my hand over the marks in my skin and take a deep breath.

"I don't ever want them to fade...they're part of me now."

It's strange to think, but they are memories, reminders of the arena. I suspect most tributes want to forget the arena...but that would mean forgetting the tributes who died. Forget Will, Steel, Melinda, Troy, Patricia and even Ruby. And that's something I never want to do. They are no longer part of this world, but I never want to forget that they _were_ a part of it, they had families, friends, enemies, they each have a story, they were more than just tributes, they were people.

"Well I'll make sure to tell the team not to cover them up."

I can't help the surprise on my face. The capitol is all about perfection and beauty. Scars are ugly, they are reminders that people get hurt, and life isn't always perfect.

"Okay...thank you."

He smiles and pulls the outfit out of the garment bag. I frown as I try to make sense of the fabric, and he shrugs.  
"It will make sense once it's on."

He spends about twenty minutes getting me into the outfit, tucking fabric here, pulling tight a fastening there. Making minor adjustments and finally stepping back and viewing it.  
"Alright, I think you're set."

I turn around and look at myself in the mirror. Surprised at the look they've gone for.

My dress is short in the front, barely reaching my knees, and dragging on the ground in the back. The top has spaghetti straps and a square neckline, sheer fabric is attached to the straps and trailing over my shoulders and down my back. Both the top and the sheer fabric are made out of different shades of gray material, all cleverly sewn to blend together. The skirt is made of a sleek material that is muted shades of dark blue and gray, the occasional pick-up added here and there. The entire dress resembles a stormy sea. My hair is down, with just a few pieces twisted into complicated weaves and pulled back. The rest of my hair is in slightly wild and messy curls and waves, and dusted in white shimmer, giving the illusion of the break in a wave. My makeup is smokey eyes, and a muted pink lip. All in all, I look...beautifully wild.

"What do you think?"

I search my brain for the proper words.

"It's...not what I was expecting."

He smiles, as if this was his goal.  
"You have been through things no one but a victor could ever imagine, you have survived. You are more dangerous and wild than most people know, you aren't tameable. Let's show them that eh?"

I smile and give him a hug.  
"Thank you."

He nods and fixes a piece of my hair.

"Of course. Oh! I almost forgot your shoes."

He walks over to the dresser and picks up a pair of shoes that were sitting on top. He walks back over and hands them to me. I smile as I see that they are sandals. They're dark gray with straps that wrap up my ankles. I put them on, and turn to let Bojo survey his work, doing a little twirl. He smiles and takes my hand, holding me at arm's length as he looks me over.

"The Lady of the sea is ready to be crowned."

The smile fades from my lips, and I run my hand nervously over the fabric of my dress. He gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, and pulls me gently towards the door.  
"Come on, just one more performance and you can go home."

I smile weakly and follow him out into the main corridor. My prep team, Pixie and Dash are all waiting for me. There's a collective gasp as I walk in, and my prep team squeal, before running over and examining me close up. Bojo chases them away, saying something about wrinkling the material. I walk over to Pixie and she gives me a giant smile.

"Oh dear you look fabulous!"

I return her smile and give her a quick hug.

"Thank you. You look wonderful as well."

She giggles and says something about having that dress for ages. I assure her that she looks lovely, and then I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and give Dash a smile. He stares at me and shakes his head slowly.  
"You look...breathtaking."

I place a hand on my hip and use the other to gesture to myself as I say in a sultry voice.

"Don't I though?"

He rolls his eyes at me and I laugh, poking him in the shoulder.

"Don't roll your eyes at me! I'm just acting like you."

He grabs my hand before I can poke him again and leans closer to me.  
"You're acting like the Capitol me."

It's my turn to roll my eyes as I pull my hand away from him.

"Whatever. Come on, let's get this over with."  
He grabs my hand again and hooks arms with me as he escorts me to the elevator. We take it down alone, the others will take the next one. We ride in silence for a moment, then Dash presses a button that stops the elevator. I don't ask any questions, knowing he wants to say something.

"Mags...I don't know what to tell you."

I shrug, rubbing a piece of my dress in between my fingers absentmindedly.

"Tell me about what?"

He looks distressed, pacing back and forth as much as he can in the small space.  
"About the victory interview, the crowning ceremony won't be a problem, you just have to stand there while the president puts a crown on your head. But the interview..."

I shrug, staring at the floor of the elevator.  
"I've been through an interview before..."

He stops in front of me, and tilts my chin up so I meet his gaze. His eyes are sad.

"Not like this one."

He rubs his thumb gently against my jaw, and then drops his hand.  
"It's...different. It's all about the games, that's all Estevan is going to talk about. Your strategy, what you were thinking, how you trained, what your ultimate goal was..."

He trails off, and waits until I look at him.

"He's going to ask about Will."

I feel my throat tighten, and the familiar ache in my chest threatens to suffocate me. I look down and try to breathe.

"It's only a matter of when. He's going to ask you what it was like, what you thought, what you felt. how you're dealing with his death..."

"Stop it!"  
I gasp in surprise at my own shout, and quickly cover my mouth with both hands, looking shocked at Dash. He doesn't look angry, just sad. I feel the tears well up in my eyes and I blink rapidly, hoping they don't spill out and ruin my makeup. That's just what I need right now.

"I...I'm sorry, I didn't even mean to say anything..."  
My voice breaks and I choke back a sob as the tears run down my cheeks. Dash pulls my hands away from my face and carefully wipes my tears off.

"See what I mean Mags? You can't break down in front of the Capitol...not again."

More tears run down my cheeks as I shake my head.  
"I know, I can't help it...it's like I'm not even in control of my own brain anymore. I feel trapped inside...like I'm just a shell of who I was, and I'm so scared I've lost myself in the arena. I'm so scared Dash."

I'm sobbing now, my shoulders shaking as the words pour out in a rush, broken by sobs. He pulls me into his arms and lets me cry on his shoulder. Rubbing my back soothingly.

"Mags, the arena changes us, but it doesn't take away who we were. You've changed since you were reaped, but you're still you. The arena hardens us, makes us grow up more than we ever would naturally. But if there's one thing the arena can't do, it's change who you are deep down. It merely blinds us, makes us forget who we were before the games, it leaves us vulnerable to be molded into the perfect victor by the Capitol. But you're always there, somewhere there's a part of you that holds on."

He holds me tighter as he says gently.

"You're still the Mags that I knew."

He releases me and hands me a handkerchief. I sniff and wipe the tears off my face.

"But what do I do? How do I keep hold of who I am?"

He takes the handkerchief and wipes my face where I missed.  
"You get through this interview, you go home, grieve with your family. You'd be surprised how natural it is to start over once you get home."

I take a deep breath and smooth my dress out.  
"Alright..."

He gives me a small smile.

"I'll always be there for you. If you ever need someone to talk to who understands."

I manage to return his smile weakly.  
"Thank you."

He nods and starts the elevator again. I feel nerves start to kick in, and my stomach starts doing crazy flips.  
"I don't have makeup all over my face do I?"

He grins and shakes his head.  
"Advantage to Capitol makeup, it's completely water proof, no one will be able to tell you've been crying."

I feel a little of the nerves lift.  
"Good."

He hesitates, then hands me a small vial full of a light blue liquid.

"You don't have to take this if you don't want...but it might help."

I stare at the liquid slightly confused.  
"What is it?"

He shifts from one foot to the other.

"It's...medicine."

I look at him with a raised eyebrow.  
"You mean drugs."

He nods, quickly explaining.  
"It's just a tonic that helps calm the nerves. It balances out your emotions so you won't...you know."

"So I won't go crazy again."

He nods a little guiltily.  
"It will make talking about everything easier...you'll still feel the emotion, but it will be much less extreme."

I stare at the bottle, struggling with the idea of using drugs. Finally I pull the top off and down the entire vial like a shot. It's tastes nasty.  
"Ugh, that's vile."

Dash shrugs.  
"Sorry."

I take a deep breath and let it out in a sigh.  
"Thanks."

He sticks his hands in his pockets and gives me a smile.  
"No problem."

The elevator doors open, and we step out on the ground floor. We wait for the others to arrive and then get in the cars that will take us to the large stage that was set up for the crowning ceremony and the interview. I get some last-minute instructions from Pixie, Bojo and Dash, and then I'm motioned up the steps to the stage, where I will await my cue before walking out to center stage to meet the president.

"...And now I have the pleasure to announce, this years victor...Mags Flint!"

I walk out onto the stage to the screams of the crowd, and stand in front of the president. Laertes gives me a smile, before picking up the gold circlet and intoning the crowning speech, then he places the crown on my head, takes my hand and turns me to face the crowd.  
"A tribute crowned, is no longer a tribute, but a victor."

The crowd cheers and applauds as Laertes puts his arm around me and waves. I mimic him and give the crowd a fake smile. Then he says something else and exits the stage. Estevan Gypsy, dressed in a dark grey suit with his signature silver accents, passes him on the stairs and waves both hands to the crowd as he walks over and gives me a hug. Motioning for us to sit in the chairs set up. I feel a stab of pain as I remember Will's interview.

"Well, well!"

He says excitedly, gesturing to me with wide eyes.  
"Look at you! You're marvelous!"

I smile and point to where I can see Bojo sitting in the crowd.  
"You have my stylist to thank for that."  
The crowd applauds him, and then the cameras move back to the stage.  
"So, I must say this years games were by far one of the most interesting, wouldn't you say? What with the whole, sibling reaping, career and Rival pack, and overall teamwork in the arena."

I nod, letting him continue.  
"I must say, we were all surprised by the tributes this year. Isn't that right?"

The crowd roars their agreement, and Estevan turns to me.

"You had multiple alliances in the arena, what was that like?"

I think for a moment.  
"Well, the alliance I had with Will was not open for question. We are...were a team, always had been."

I take a minute to control the tears threatening to come and take a deep breath.  
"I don't think either of us was expecting to team up with any other tributes. Milo and Rosa were definitely a surprise...but without them I wouldn't be here."

Estevan nods sympathetically.  
"That must have been hard, getting to know them, splitting up with Milo only to be reunited later. His sacrifice was very moving."

I nod.  
"Yes. He gave us the chance we needed to take down the careers."

Estevan leans forward and says eagerly.  
"Tell us about that. The Rivals. We're all dying to know what was behind their alliance."

I shrug.  
"The tributes from District one and two have always been stronger, and better trained for the arena. The majority of them volunteer as well, so you know they're not afraid. Both of those Districts have the highest victor rate, so from the beginning they are more prepared. A lot of the other Districts don't have a victor yet, so their tributes are on their own. I think the Rivals' main goal, was to give future tributes from another District more of a chance by giving them a mentor."

Estevan nods, seeming to be awed by their choice.

"They sacrificed themselves to give others a fighting chance."  
I smile.  
"They were heroes..."

Estevan looks sadly at me as he says gently.  
"They were. Will was a hero as well."

I nod, not trusting myself to say anything.

"How are you handling his death?"

The question stabs me right through my heart, and I feel tears build in my eyes as I look straight at him. When I finally speak, my voice is barely above a whisper, but in the deadly silence, it echoes out across the crowd.  
"You don't handle something like that, you never get over it, you just do your best to hold on, and fight every day not to lose it."

He nods slowly.

"Well, I know he would be proud of you."

I nod.  
"Thank you."

He gives me a small smile and turns to the crowd.  
"Alright! The gamemakers have been working long and hard to capture the highlights of the arena, and put them all together. Let's see what they've come up with."

The lights dim, and our chairs turn to the large screen behind us. It starts out at the bloodbath, and quickly skips to scenes of all the tributes starting out. I watch the Rivals meet up in the forest, and set off to find a camp. Milo and Rosa find the hidden meadow right away, and settle down. Other tributes explore the arena. I watch the Rivals plan several skirmishes on the careers, Will and I as we escape being discovered by the careers, find the hidden meadow, I get to see what happened after I passed out in the meadow. Milo and Rosa run up to Will and quickly get control of the situation. Throughout the next week I see tributes fighting for survival, the careers getting more and more frustrated as they fail to find any more tributes. Then in flashes scenes of the fire, our disappearing into the water and then reappearing. Splitting up with Milo, the careers capturing Lola, our rescue, and to my horror, they stop and show Will's entire death. I have to look away, unable to watch him die again. It speeds through my time with the Rivals, shows Milo's death, and then the nightmare with the arachnid mutts. Lola's death, then in full detail the career and Rival showdown.

"This was by far the most exciting fight in arena history."

Estevan says as we watch. I see myself collapse on the ground, and then I see the carnage that I missed while I was unconscious. Patricia died soon after hitting the tree, Troy dispatched Burk, and then collapsed on the ground, slowly dying from his internal injuries. Steel fought hard with Ruby, finally gaining the upper hand and running her through the side. She collapsed on the ground and he turned to Melinda, face streaked with tears as he leans over her and brushes her dark hair out of her face. He starts as she coughs, and her eyes flutter open. She's barely hanging on to life.

"I love you."

She says weakly. Steel's tears wet the grass as he gently brushes his hand down her cheek.  
"I love you too."

He wraps his arms around her and pulls her to him. She manages to lift her arms and wrap them around his neck. He pulls away slightly and then kisses her tenderly, saying goodbye. They break apart, and he rests his forehead against hers, both of their eyes closed.

"I'll be waiting for you."

She says before going limp as her cannon sounds. Steel clings to her tightly, his face twisted in pain as he mourns. Then he takes a deep breath, and carefully laying her on the ground. Ruby suddenly staggers upright, and stabs Steel through the shoulder. He roars in pain and whirls on her, now fueled by grief, they fight savagely, both taking fatal wounds. They wander away from the main battle scene, and finally they're both so weak they can't fight anymore. Steel staggers forward and using the last of his strength he sinks his last remaining dagger into her shoulder. She falls back and he collapses on top of her. The film skips ahead to when I wake up, and I watch as I confirm that my friends are dead.

I'm not surprised that they muted what Ruby told me. The Capitol can't have its citizens knowing the kind of corruption that goes on in the Districts, especially not when it involves something that directly connects to the Capitol, in this case the peacekeepers. Ruby and Steel both die, and then I'm left alone. I shiver as I hear myself scream, still unable to understand how I was able to make that sound. In the scream, you can hear the pain I feel, mental and physical, it's the most haunting thing I've ever heard.

"What was it that Ruby said to you? Before she died."  
I think for a moment.  
"She told me she was sorry, for killing Will, and all the other tributes. She was looking for forgiveness before the end."

He nods.

"What was going through your head when you were announced victor? I think we were all shocked by that scream."

"So was I."

The crowd laughs and I force myself to smile, inwardly disgusted at how they can laugh at something like that.

"I...I actually don't know. I think everything that had happened just sort of...hit me, right then. The mental and physical strain of the arena was all held back, but in that moment, it all hit me."

Estevan pats my hand sympathetically.

"Well we can't imagine what you've been through, but we are all glad that you're fine now."

I give him a smile as I thank him. Knowing that I'm not fine, and I never will be again. I can just put myself back together, and keep going for everyone who died in the arena.

"Are you looking forward to going home?"

This time when I smile, it's genuine.

"More than anything."

He smiles.  
"Well, I hope to be seeing more of you in the future, it has been a privilege knowing you."

We stand and I give him a hug.

"I'm sure we'll see each other again. And thank you."

He bows low and says.

"No, thank you."

We turn to face the crowd and he hold my hand above my head.  
"Ladies and gentlemen, Mags Flint! The lady of the sea! And victor of the eleventh hunger games!"

The crowd stands and roars, cheering, screaming and applauding me. I bow with Estevan, and then exit the stage. Dash gives me a hug and whispers in my ear.  
"You made it. Now we can go home."

I feel a weight lifted off my chest as I breathe out a sigh.  
"Home."

I say goodbye to Bojo and my prep team, they saying cheerfully that they'll see me in six months for the victory tour. I pretend to look eager, while inwardly cringing. Dash whisks me away to the train, and I feel sad as we board.

"I didn't get to say goodbye to Pixie."

I say sadly as we enter the main lounge car. I stop and stare with my mouth open as Pixie stands up and gives me a huge smile.  
"I'm coming with you dear! Didn't you know I lived half of the year in the District?"

I shake my head, to shocked to say anything. She walks over and gives me a hug.  
"Oh yes! I have a lovely house right outside of the Victors village. I love the Capitol, but I've also fallen in love with my District so I spend half of the year in both!"

I smile and somehow feel relieved that I don't have to say goodbye to her as well.

"That's wonderful!"

She nods and squeaks cheerfully.

"I spend the six months in the Capitol before the games, and then after them I stay in District Four! That way I'm already there for the victory tour! Once the victory tour ends at the Capitol, I just stay until the next games. I must say it's a wonderful routine."

I smile and nod.  
"It sounds wonderful."

Dash takes my hand and pulls me towards my bedroom.  
"Come on Mags, it's time you went to bed."

I let him lead me through several cars until we're in the one that houses my bedroom. I glance out the window as Dash opens the door and he catches my wistful gaze.

"We won't reach District four until tomorrow morning. I promise I'll wake you up before we arrive."

I give him a grateful smile.  
"Thank you."

He nods and holds the door open for me. I walk inside and suddenly feel very alone in the big room. I turn around quickly as he's shutting the door.  
"Dash?"

He stops and opens the door enough so he can stick his head in.

"Yeah?"

I feel tears build in my eyes for what seems like the thousandth time today, and I take a deep breath before asking.  
"Would you stay with me? I...I can't face the night alone."

He nods and walks in, shutting the door quietly behind him. I take off my dress, leaving the full length slip on as a nightgown and slide under the covers. He takes off his shoes and dress shirt, and climbs into bed with me dressed in his T-shirt and pants. I curl up next to him like a child, and rest my head on his shoulder. He wraps his arms around me and pulls the covers over us. I feel safer with him there, like the nightmares won't come if he's with me...apparently I'm wrong because soon after falling asleep I wake up screaming.

"Mags calm down, I'm here, it was just a dream."

Dash's soothing words calm me as he wraps his arms around me tightly. I cry into his shoulder and try to stop shaking.  
"It was so real...I can't live like this Dash."

He nods, running his hand over my hair soothingly.  
"I know..."

"How do you do it? How do you live with the nightmares every night, how can you face them alone?"

He shrugs.  
"I guess you get used to it...sometimes when my little sister, Pearl, hears me she'll climb into bed with me and sing quietly until I calm down."

He chuckles slightly as he thinks about it.  
"She's so tiny, but she's fearless. No matter how wild I am she'll cuddle up on my lap and gently pet my face, talking to me like a little child...when I should be the one who's strong for her."

He sighs and shifts his arms around me slightly.  
"She shouldn't have to comfort her big brother."

I start to giggle as I imagine a tiny little girl treating Dash like a baby. He chuckles, the sound rumbling deep in his chest as he asks.  
"What are you laughing about?"

I shake my head.  
"Nothing."

He pulls away from me and gives me a mock glare.  
"You're laughing at me aren't you."  
I try to look innocent, failing miserably as I grin widely.  
"No I'm not."

He pretends to look offended and shocked as he says outraged.  
"You are!"

I start giggling again and fight for control as I pat his cheek and say patronizingly.  
"Aw I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."  
He fights a smile as he pushes me onto my back and starts tickling me. I squeal and squirm, trying to escape his relentless fingers.  
"Okay stop, stop! I'm sorry!"

He stops and looks down at me, a smug look on his face.

"There, maybe that will teach you that it's not nice to laugh at people."

I sigh and relax against the pillows. Closing my eyes as I feel sleep drifting in again.  
"Won't happen again."  
I mutter as I feel him lay down next to me and put and arm loosely around my waist.

"Good. You get some rest."

I nod and then fall asleep.

It's almost instinct when I wake up, my eyes snapping open as all traces of sleep are instantly wiped away. Dash's arm is lying across my waist, his head resting near my shoulder. I'm trapped under his weight and so I gently smack his arm.  
"Dash...Dash wake up."

He stirs and mumbles.

"Come on get up! I can feel it! I can feel the ocean!"  
He pushes himself up on one elbow, his arm still trapping me.

"That's impossible, you can't feel the ocean on a train."

I glare at him and smack his arm harder.  
"Well I can. Come on get off me."

He yawns and fights a smile as he flops back onto the mattress, and mumbles sleepily.  
"I'm really tired...I think I'll just go back to sleep."

I sigh and try to push his arm off me, but he only presses his arm down. I smack his arm hard, but hitting his flexed muscle only makes my hand sting.

"Come on Dash!"

I say half angry and half pleading. He pretends to snore. And I groan in frustration. I lay there for a minute, then narrow my eyes and twist around so I'm laying on my side facing him. I stare at him for a moment before leaning forward and planting a kiss on his jaw. His eyes snap open in confusion as he says startled.  
"What the-"

Before he can finish, I slide out from under his arm and jump off the bed, skipping over to the wardrobe as I giggle.  
"Haha! Got you!"

He smiles at my obvious feeling of self accomplishment and rolls over so that he's on his back.

"Proud of yourself?"

I scroll through some outfits as I call over my shoulder.  
"Oh very."

I finally find a blue skirt that reaches my knees, with a lighter sheer fabric over it that reaches my toes. I choose that and a black tank top with embroidery around the neckline. A pair of black sandals complete the outfit. I pull the selected clothes out and walk to the bathroom.

"You'd better be gone by the time I get out."

I call to Dash, he rolls over in the bed and pretends to snore again. I roll my eyes and smile as I close the door. I take a shower in record time, drying my hair and getting dressed. Then I take my hair and put it in a fish bone braid over my right shoulder. I apply some light makeup and walk into my room, seeing with satisfaction that Dash has left. I run into the main car, and go straight to the wall that's complete glass. I press my hands to the cool surface and my eyes light up as I see the coastline, catching the white of waves breaking through the dunes.

"You were right...you can sense the ocean."

I don't take my eyes from the window as Dash walks up beside me.

"I...I never thought I'd see it again."

I say, my voice choked with emotion. I close my eyes and press my forehead against the glass as a tear rolls down my cheek.

"Hey, this isn't a time for tears."  
Dash says as he wipes the tear away. I open my eyes and see him smiling at me. He points to the window, and as I turn my gaze back, I see the dotted fishermen shacks that create the outskirts of the district.

"You're home."

I look back to him and smile.  
"No, we're home."

"Come on you two! Breakfast is ready."

I turn around and my jaw drops as I see Pixie. She's wearing a pair of white shorts and a maroon flowing tank-top. Her hair is a soft golden color and if it wasn't for the pink flower tattoos on her neck and upper arms, then I wouldn't recognise her.

"Pixie?"

She smiles and looks down at herself.  
"Bit of a change isn't it?"

Her capitol accent is gone, although she still has a slight accent that I can't place. I am speechless for a moment and she laughs. A rich, real sound unlike her Capitol squeal.

"I find it's easier to blend in as much as I can while living in the District, the citizens are just a little prejudice against us from the Capitol."

I smile and give her a hug.  
"Well for the record, I like this you better."

She wrinkles her nose in a childish grin and whispers confidentially.  
"So do I."

Then she raises her voice and calls to Dash.  
"Come along Dashing, breakfast is getting cold. The ocean will still be there when we're finished."

He grins and follows the two of us into the dining car. I find myself unable to eat much, too excited to be home, to see my family and Felix again. I subconsciously play with the ring on my finger, twisting it around, taking it off and slipping it back on. Dash looks at me and grins.  
"Excited to see Felix?"

I blush slightly.  
"Yes..."

He chuckles and says dismissively.  
"Don't feel bad. You should be excited. I'm happy for you."  
I give him a smile and run to the window as the train starts to slow down. My heart starts pounding twice as hard as we pull up to the train station, and I look over District Four...my home. The train comes to a complete stop and I hop from one foot to the other as I wait for the doors to open. Dash laughs.  
"Settle down there, we don't want you busting through the train side."

I smile and fidget.

"I know, I'm just so excited!"

"Remember we have the presentation with the mayor outside the justice building..."

I suddenly stand still.

"Oh...right."

He rubs my shoulder encouragingly.  
"Don't worry, it doesn't take long."

The doors open and I give him a grin before running out onto the platform. I close my eyes and take a deep breath of the salty air. Feeling peace wash over me as I catch the sound of sea birds and the distant roar of the ocean.

"Mags!"

My eyes snap open as I hear the voice, and my head spins widely as I search for the source. I see him bounding up the station's stairs, his dark waves blowing back in the wind. He looks perfect in a button down light green shirt, and a pair of jeans. His brown eyes are filled with relief, excitement and desperation as he runs for me.  
"Felix!"

Seeing him reawakened every fiber of my being, flares up the love we share, and I'm suddenly filled with the need to be with him. I break out into a run and before I know it I'm locked in his arms. His lips pressed against mine as he kisses me with more passion than ever before. My hands are gripping the front of his shirt tightly, my knuckles white. His arms are wrapped so tightly around me I can hardly breathe, but I need him to hold me tighter, I need to be with him. He finally breaks the kiss, and we're both out of breath. He rests his forehead against mine, and closes his eyes.

"You'll never know how much I need you."

He whispers, his arms sliding around my waist, pulling me even closer to him. I smile and reply.

"Yes I do. Because I need you just as much."

I stretch up on tip toe and kiss him again. He pulls away again and says quickly.  
"Your father...he made me promise to come get him when you arrived."

I frown.  
"Where is he?"

Felix brushes his fingers through my hair, looking at me with so much love it almost makes me dizzy to think that he cares about me so much.

"There was an outbreak of smallpox, but he was able to contain and take care of it. He was just checking up on some patients today."

I smile at his reluctance to leave me, and I give him a quick kiss.

"Go on. I'll be on the stage in front of everyone. You won't be able to miss me."  
He grins.

"You've always stood out to me. I'll see you soon."

He gives me one last long kiss, and then pulls away. Running down the stairs so that he isn't tempted to look back. I watch him go, feeling giddy. I spin around as I hear someone clear their throat behind me. My cheeks turn scarlet as I see Dash watching me, leaning against the station platform with his hands in his pockets casually. A smile hovering across his lips.  
"How long were you watching?"

He shrugs, now grinning widely.  
"Long enough."

I scowl at him as I toss my hair over one shoulder and say scolding him.  
"Creep. It's weird to stare at people when they kiss."

He nods.  
"You're right. That wasn't just ordinary kissing though."

I blush darker as he walks over and smirks at me.  
"I told you so."

I cross my arms and stare at him.  
"Told me what?"

He taps my nose as he says.

"I told you that you and Felix have something special, a once in a lifetime connection. So, I was right."

I roll my eyes and poke his shoulder.  
"So you were right."

He nods and then motions towards the stairs.  
"Come on, we've got to get going."

We walk to the justice building and soon I'm standing on a stage in front of the whole district. The mayor is saying something and then he motions to me. Everyone starts cheering and I smile as I wave to them. Then the Mayor makes the announcement that in honor of my victory, the Capitol is showering the District with gifts. Cheers from the crowd as workers start unloading boxes of gifts for the citizens. Children squeal happily as they run around with small brightly colored packages.

The Mayor gives me a smile and then says quietly.  
"You're free to go meet your family now."

I thank him and run down the stage steps. I'm suddenly overwhelmed as people crowd around me, all trying to shake my hand or pat me on the back. My winning has affected them more than I thought, they are now receiving precious gifts that would be extremely expensive to buy. And I've given their children more of a chance if they get reaped, now that they have two victors to assist them. I push through the crowd, searching for my family.

"Mags!"

I spin around and smile brightly as I see Leroy pushing through the crowd, followed closely by my Father. I run to them and am immediately enveloped in their arms, both of them holding me tightly.

"Magarida...my brave girl."  
My father says softly, his tears falling onto my neck. Leroy is trembling as he holds onto me tightly, and a wet spot grows on my back from his tears. And it's then, in that moment, that I realize that nothing will ever be the same. I'm home, but a part of home will always be missing. Here with all that's left of my family, I'm painfully reminded of the family members that are missing. My mother and Will, they will always remain in our hearts, but it's going to be harder than anything I've faced to live without them.

I feel my body start to shake, and I suddenly find it's hard to breathe. I gasp, and put a hand to my throat, struggling to breathe. My father and Leroy release me, causing me to fall to my knees. My whole body starts shaking violently as I gasp. My father instantly goes into doctor mode, crouching down and pulling my shoulders up so that I look at him.

"Mags, you're having a panic attack, you need to calm down and take deep breaths."  
I look at him with wide eyes, unable to fight the terror that's locked onto me.

"I...I can't! Will's gone, mom's gone! All the other tributes are gone! Everyone is leaving me!"

I shake uncontrollably as I dig my nails into the ground.

"Everyone dies around me...everyone leaves me! I don't want to be alone!"  
I suddenly feel a pair of strong arms around me, and a deep voice in my ears.

"I'll never leave you alone Mags."

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, feeling my body relax in the strong arms. Knowing that as long as I was with him...I would be safe.

* * *

**Authors Note: So that's the end! I know, I know, I'm an evil person :P  
**

**The story just took over and wrote itself, so I didn't intend for it to be a cliffhanger but...you know for the greater good it had to be. The sequel will be coming out soon, and I'm still slightly undecided on the name so just keep an eye out for a new story from me.**

**Please tell me what you guys think! I would adore to hear your opinion as far as this chapter and the whole story goes. And any ideas or questions about the sequel, I would be happy to answer for you :) (unless it's spoilers of course! I don't do spoilers) :P**

**So with all that said, thank you so much for reading! I hope you all enjoyed it, and I hope I'll be seeing you guys reading the sequel where we will learn who the mysterious man who haunts Mags' dreams is, Pixie's back story, who she ends up with, and how she deals with being a victor.**

**Love to all of you Hamiltons! 3**

**Wendy**

**PS: this is officially the longest chapter in the entire story. Over eight thousand words! :O**


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